Seat 2A

I was tempted to call this Trip Report “Oh No - Not Again! More Tales of First Class Decadence Aboard British Airways” but the title wouldn’t fit. Given Fraser’s excellent report of roundtrip travel on BA between London and Capetown along with my attempts to describe my own similar experiences aboard BA between the US and Melbourne, this forum has been well and truly inundated with accounts of the good life aboard BA.

Regardless, I promise that unless substantial changes to BA’s First Class product occur, this’ll be the last report I publish here on it. Others can take up the reins. Enough is enough!

Now then – on to the report…

Oh yeah – pictures start with #24 right HERE

Seat 2A

After two weeks of roaming about New Zealand’s South Island, it’s time to return to the top half of the planet again. As excited as I am about the prospect of my upcoming flights on British Airways FIRST, I also feel that this visit Down Under has been entirely too short. I’ve got a lot to look forward to in the weeks ahead, but I don’t feel ready to leave just yet.

Most years when visiting Australia and/or New Zealand, I’ve spent anywhere from one to three months in the region. As much fun as this little trip has been, it’s also been entirely too short for such a beautiful and enjoyable part of the world. Still, plans have been made – plans that I can’t change without incurring substantial penalties, so…

I’m off to Hawaii!

Things could be worse, couldn’t they?

From 1985 through 1995, I went to Hawaii every year. In one thirteen month period during 1985-86, I flew to Hawaii and back twenty-three times. Go ahead and put your eyes back in your sockets – you read that correctly. Twenty-three times. During that period, I was also a card-carrying winner of United Airlines’ Fifty State Marathon promotion. As such, I was entitled to completely free, unlimited First Class travel throughout the fifty states. Believe me, I took full advantage of it, logging over 500,000 miles in twelve months.

Back in those days, United’s Royal Hawaiian First Class represented about as fine a service as could be found aloft between the US Mainland and Hawaii. Large, spacious 747s and DC-10s plied the routes and the First Class meal service was really quite grand compared to the watered down Economy Class product now masquerading as First Class service.

But more on that later. Right now I’ve got to get to Hawaii. For most people, Hawaii is only 4400 miles and eight hours away from New Zealand. Nobody’s ever accused me of being like most people however, and as such I’ll be traveling from Christchurch to Honolulu via Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, London and Los Angeles. That’s a distance of 20,260 miles, and it’ll take me a few days to travel. So make yourself comfortable, recline your seat a notch and prepare for takeoff. This trip report, like its writer, is on the road again.


DAY ONE
Virgin Blue Economy Class
Christchurch – Sydney – Melbourne

Unless there’s some compelling interest regarding the airline or the aircraft, I just can’t bring myself to spend any more time describing flights on which no inflight service is offered. You basically take a seat for a few hours, have a drink or two, then get up and exit the aircraft. Nothing special there. My thanks go out to Virgin Blue for offering the most affordable fare between Christchurch and Melbourne, but beyond the price savings, they really don’t offer any service worth writing about.


Melbourne to Singapore
British Airways First Class
Boeing 747-400 G-CIVC Seat 1A
535p-1005p Flight time: 7:10

BA’s Flight 18 between Melbourne and Singapore may well be my all-time favorite international flight. To begin with, it departs Melbourne in the early evening ~ my preferred time to fly. I love the shadows at that time of day and of course the possibility of a beautiful sunset is always worthy of anticipation. Flight time is about seven hours, four hours of which are flown during daylight hours over west central Australia. Darkness usually falls just as the aircraft passes over the Australian coastline and continues out over the Indian Ocean. We pass over Java and Sumatra before descending into Singapore, often to the accompaniment of nearby thunderstorms.

The seven-hour flight time allows for a relaxed inflight service that includes a full seven-course dinner along with a round of refreshments later in the flight. Assuming one chooses to eat soon after departure from Melbourne, there’s still plenty of time after dinner to enjoy a movie or a good book whilst pausing occasionally to take in the beautiful colors of the late evening sky off the port side of the aircraft.

Sadly, British Airways will no longer be flying into Melbourne after March 28th, so this will be my last chance to experience this flight. As always, I’m looking forward to a wonderful experience aloft and hoping for a pretty sunset.

After claiming my backpack from the Domestic Terminal, (My day started in Christchurch at 6:00am and I was routed via Sydney with a long layover) I wasted no time in heading to BA’s check-in area, located next door in the International Terminal. Check-in was well underway and sizable queues had gathered at every counter except First Class.

Between Melbourne and Singapore I prefer to sit on the A side of the cabin because the windows face the west and thus the setting sun. Unfortunately, the best seat I’d been able to secure via BA reservations was 4K. Not only was it on the wrong side of the airplane, but it was back closer to the noise and bustle of the galley. The best I could do prior to airport check-in was put in a request for a preferred seat. Anything on the A side said I, preferably in row 1 or 2. Imagine then my surprise and delight upon being informed at check-in that I’d already been reassigned seat 1A. Awright!!

Finally free of my 50 lb pack, I was free to roam the airport unencumbered by its bulk. With only a little less than two hours until departure time, there was no question as to where I was immediately headed…

To me at least, the First Class lounge is an integral part of the overall experience of international First Class air travel. I know, I know… it’s really just sitting around eating complimentary food and drink before the flight, but I love it anyway.

A proper First Class lounge is much nicer than the average airline club. It generally offers a nicer variety of food and drink and should be exclusive to First Class passengers. For one such as myself who loves to fly, the First Class lounge is like tailgating before the big game in that it helps build up the excitement and anticipation of the flight itself. The First Class lounge is a proper place to start a First Class journey and I always try to ensure that I’ve got plenty of time to enjoy it before the flight.

When I passed through Melbourne two weeks ago, I’d noticed a new, totally glassed in third floor located above the departures level of the International concourse. Was this perhaps a new International Qantas Club? If so, its views of the airport operations and the countryside surrounding the airport would be superb, far better than the old facility located downstairs beneath the departures level. I asked about it before heading for immigration and was told that it’s part of a 5000 square meter expansion being built in preparation for the big A380s, an aircraft that will see a lot of service on Australian routes from the likes of Qantas, Singapore and Emirates. Existing gates D9 and D11 will be extended out 20 meters. This extension will increase space available for seating in departure areas by 165%. Two gates with dual jetways will be installed on the new expansion. These dual jetways will enable passengers to board and disembark the A380 from both levels of the double-decker aircraft. The glassed in area will be the future home of the International Qantas Club as well as other airline lounges. For the time being however, the old and still current International Qantas Club will remain downstairs.

That’s not to say however that the current International Qantas Club is a less than adequate facility. It just doesn’t have any windows, and even if it did you wouldn’t see anymore than the underbellies of various aircraft along with lots of ramp support vehicles. Aside from that particular flaw, it’s a very nice lounge. Chairs and couches are upholstered in beige, black and burgundy. Some of them are arranged in semi-private booths while others surround low coffee tables. Faux walnut barriers and soft lighting create a pleasing ambience. Along the right hand side of the lounge are five work areas, each equipped with Internet capable computer terminals, printers and phones. Shower facilities are also available.

At the forward end of the lounge is a nicely stocked buffet area featuring a decent array of finger sandwiches, wraps, fresh smoked salmon with lemons and cream, veggies, dips, cheeses, crackers, fresh fruit and mixed nuts. Off to one side, a small hot buffet was stocked with a selection of miniature samosas, pies and pasties. Sweets included a collection of cakes and pastries. I put together a small plate of food, grabbed an ice cold Hahn’s Premium Lager from the well-stocked beer fridge and took a seat at one of the workstations.

The first call for boarding of BA 18 was made about half an hour prior to departure. The final call for boarding was made only five minutes later. By then I’d already gathered my gear together and was headed up to the gate, but even as I rounded the corner towards gate 8, I heard an anxious voice holler out “Any more passengers for BA 18?”

“Yo!” said I, whereupon I was quickly directed to a side table for what was certainly the most thorough pre-flight carry-on and personal inspection I've ever experienced. My daypack was carefully inspected, each item from every pocket removed and scrutinized. Even the pads of my shoulder straps were carefully examined for any illegal contraband I may have sewn in there. Perhaps being amongst the last to board carries some added measure of suspicion. Interestingly, they never checked my shoes.

Finally cleared to board, I tromped down the jetway and onto the waiting 747-400, the flagship of BA’s long distance fleet. When it comes to long distance air travel, particularly when traveling in First Class, there’s no aircraft I’d rather fly on than the 747 - widely regarded as the Queen of the Skies. I still get shivers just seeing one up close at the gate, especially when I know that my seat will be located amongst the first five or six windows up in the nose. I’m thankful to say that since the birth of the 747 in 1970, over eighty percent of my flights on it have been in the forward cabin. Only once have I ever had to sit in a First Class cabin that was upstairs and that was on a Royal Air Maroc 747SP. Downstairs is far preferable to me.

Because the fuselage narrows towards the nose of the aircraft, the forward part of the First Class cabin is only wide enough to have a single suite on each side of the cabin. The increased amount of floor space in the vicinity of the first three rows lends a lounge like ambience to the cabin as opposed to the more cramped feeling one gets in an Airbus or 777 where a 1-2-1 seating configuration is the norm. Additionally, the narrowing of the fuselage on the 747 lends an intimacy to the forward cabin that is unrivaled in other commercial jetliners. As one might imagine, I was delighted to be led to my suite at 1A.

British Airways’ First Class cabin is designed to emulate the interior of a Rolls Royce. Seats are upholstered in gray Connolly leather and chenille fabric offset by burr walnut wraparound barriers, beige side panels and dark blue carpet. The atmosphere is quiet and refined, radiating a subdued elegance. On my seat was BA’s distinctive maroon and black pillow while atop the ottoman across from the seat was BA’s First Class embroidered wool blanket along with a set of headphones. Under the ottoman was a rolled up duvet.

As I stood admiring my home for the next twenty-three hours, a Flight Attendant approached and presented me with BA’s attractive Bag amenity kit and a set of pajamas. Soon, another member of the cabin crew stopped by to see if I’d like a pre-flight drink. In the two minutes elapsed since entering the aircraft, I’d been greeted, escorted to my seat, presented with amenity kit and pajamas and was now being offered a welcoming drink. Were I back in Economy (or in First Class on a U.S. carrier), I’d likely still be trying to stow my luggage or get to my row.

I’d noticed a nice tall flute of Champagne and orange juice delivered to the lady in 2A and thought that looked like a marvelously refreshing way to begin the flight on this hot, sunny afternoon in Melbourne. Moments later I was savoring my Mimosa (or Buck’s Fizz as the Brits like to call it) along with a small plate of luscious Macadamia nuts. Ah… it’s good to be back in First Class.

Following a warm and friendly welcome from the Captain, the Cabin Service Director dropped by to introduce himself and extend his thanks and appreciation on behalf of everyone at British Airways for my patronage of this flight. If there’s anything we can do to make the flight a more pleasant one, please don’t hesitate to contact myself or a member of the crew.

Once again, we had an all male crew working the First Class cabin. Whereas this might seem fairly rare on other airlines, I’ve encountered all male crews a number of times on BA. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. BA’s fellows do a magnificent job and indeed I think I prefer their overall approach to service over that of Cathay Pacific’s ladies. Both are very good, but I really do enjoy just that hint of formality that BA’s guys do better than anyone else regardless of gender.

Following a 36-second takeoff roll, we climbed east out of Tullamarine and then made a big sweeping turn to the south, continuing it until we’d changed our heading approximately 190 degrees. Now heading in a west –northwesterly direction towards Adelaide, we continued to climb through light turbulence in a cloudless sky until we’d reached 36,000 feet.

About fifteen minutes out of Melbourne, hot towels were presented. Soon afterwards, Charles stopped by to take my drink order. I’d been perusing the Wine List and trying to decide between a white or a red wine to start off tonight’s flight…


WINE LIST

CHAMPAGNE

Piper Heidsieck Cuvée Rare
Piper’s deluxe cuvée, one third Pinot Noir and two thirds Chardonnay, is explosively fresh on the nose with a creamy brioche flavour – simply delicious

Alfred Gratien Cuvée Paradis
A remarkably luxurious deluxe cuvée Champagne produced from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes from, exclusively, grand cru vineyards. This was a big favorite from the Concorde Cellar.

WHITE WINES

Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseigniéres 2003, Domaine Roux Pere et Fils
This is a powerful, rich and complex wine from an excellent producer made in one of the world’s greatest sources of dry white wine

Three Choirs Estate Reserve Bacchus 2004
Bacchus is an intensely aromatic grape variety admirably suited to England’s cool climate – in this case Gloucestershire. There’s lots of crisp orchard fruit aromas and flavours and good depth and length

Tyrrell’s Hunter Semillon Vat 1, 1999
An absolutely benchmark Hunter Semillon, rich and creamy but with great citrus freshness

RED WINES

Chateau Beychevelle 1995, Grand Cru Classé Saint-Julien
Chateau Beychevelle is an architectural gem in the tiny commune of Saint-Julien and the wines are equally stunning! This is elegant with firm tannins, candied fruit and a generous hint of spice

Errazuriz Don Maximiano Cabernet Sauvignon 2000, Aconcagua Valley
This is one of the most stylish wines ever to come out of Chile with a lucious raspberry and blackberry aroma, spicy tannins and a long, silky finish

Glaetzer Bishop Shiraz 2001, Barossa Valley
Is anywhere better for growing Shiraz than the Barossa Valley? This is full-bodied and multi-layered with a velvety finish

DESSERT WINES

Opitz Goldackerl Trockenbeerenauslese 2002, Austria
Austria makes some of the finest sweet wines in the world. The effervescent Willi Opitz, from his tiny vineyards in Illmitz near the Hungarian border, produces some of the very best in the country

Warre’s 1988 Colheita Port
Complex, sweet nutty flavours offer an admirable after dinner glass



Having already sampled all the reds, my choice really wasn’t all that difficult. I’d quite enjoyed the Beychevelle on the flight down and was quite tempted to resume that relationship, but the description of the Montrachet proved too enticing and so I opted for a glass off that. It was presented moments later with a plate bearing three savory canapés. I love those canapés and could easily make a meal out of them alone. Tonight’s examples included beef on toast and two different salmon creations. Each was delicious, particularly the salmon ones.

In anticipation of another classic BA feast, I’d eaten just a small salad for lunch and sampled just a small amount of hors d’oeuvres at the Qantas Club. Now, at 6:15pm Melbourne time, I was fairly hungry. Menus had been presented just prior to our departure and I perused mine now in eager anticipation of the culinary adventure soon to follow…


Melbourne to Singapore

DINNER

Appetizers
King prawns served on a salad of green papaya ribbons and roast baba ghanoush
Chiva-Som’s Thai curried chicken risotto with cucumber relish

Soup
Lentil and coriander soup

Salad
Fresh salad leaves with your choice of balsamic vinaigrette or Blue cheese dressing


MAIN COURSES

Grilled Marinated Rump of Lamb
Served on baby vegetables with cocotte potatoes

Chiva-Som’s Orange Duck Curry
Presented with lemon grass brown rice

Traditional Pork Sausage
Accompanied by peas and massed potatoes with red onion gravy

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Please feel free to request an alternative selection of vegetables from the menu

* * * * * * * * * * *

Cheese Plate
A selection of cheese

Dessert
Caramelized pineapple tart served with star anise custard
Baked banana cheesecake
A basket of fresh fruit

SNACKS

Fresh pasta with your choice of mustard, cheese and chive sauce or tomato and basil sauce
Bacon roll served with tomato ketchup
Ice cream
A selection of sweet biscuits
A selection of cheese and fruit





Mmmm… everything looked so good! I decided to start with both appetizers, followed by the soup and… and… ah, geez, lamb or curry? Curry or lamb? Charles waited patiently while I hemmed and hawed. Perhaps he was used to BA’s First Class fare eliciting similar responses from other passengers. Finally, I settled on Chiva Som’s Orange Duck Curry. I’d regretted passing on Chiva Som’s lobster and mango curry two weeks earlier on the inbound flight from Singapore, so now seemed like a good time to rectify that mistake.

Ten minutes later my table was laid with BA’s crisp white table cloth followed by a set of gleaming silver and glass salt and pepper shakers, a bread plate topped with a dark blue napkin, a small butter plate and a water glass. The only blemish to this fine dinner table came in the form of BA’s dreadful silver colored plastic ware, presented courtesy of the Australian government’s continuing intransigence towards allowing silverware aboard flights to and from Australia.

First up came a plate of three nicely sized king prawns gathered around a mound of rather tasteless baba ghanoush. As of this writing, I’m still not sure just what exactly baba ghanoush is made of, but whatever it was would have surely benefited from the inclusion of a few strongly flavored spices. Personally, I’ve always liked my prawns with a good strong serving of horseradish infused seafood cocktail sauce.

The Montrachet made a marvelous accompaniment to both the prawns and a delicious multi-grain roll that I’d selected to go with them. After having downed two glasses however, I decided to change gears and go with the Three Choirs Estate Reserve Bacchus to accompany my risotto. Charles explained that the Bacchus was a crisp, fruity English wine that had received many favorable reviews amongst BA’s First Class clientele. Me – I didn’t even know England had any wines, so I was more than game to try this one out.

The Bacchus turned out to be my favorite white wine of this trip. I love a good dry white wine and I should think that fans of German Rieslings might also be quite pleased with this wine.

The Thai curried chicken risotto was most appetizing, especially with the addition of spicy cucumber relish. In terms of size however, it was practically a meal unto itself. With a bowl of lentil soup still to come, I knew that if I ate all that rice I’d be in dire straits once my main entrée arrived. I settled for a half portion.

As for the soup, let me begin by saying that I’m a real fan of lentil soup and I’ve enjoyed many a bowl from homemade to store bought to spicy Greek restaurant versions. The soup I was served tonight was one of the finest lentil soups I’ve ever had. The cilantro was the kicker. What a great flavor combination!

Alright then, bring on the duck curry! I’ve actually been served duck a number of times inflight, most notably in First Class aboard United Airlines’ Chicago to Denver nonstops back in the mid-eighties. I used to make a habit of flying UA 237, the 7:00pm departure out of O’Hare. United’s Duck A L’Orange was a feast to behold, served with a flavorful orange sauce and accompanied by a plateful of wild rice and broccoli. How would Chiva Som’s Orange Duck Curry compare?

Unfortunately, it never got the chance to compare. After just one bite of the curry, it was quite obvious that I wasn’t eating duck. Duck isn’t generally presented in chunks and the texture of tonight’s “duck” was much different. And where was the orange flavor? Instead, the rich and spicy peanut sauce covering the beef chunks would have nicely accented any satay from Malaysian or Singapore Airlines. I suspect the caterers in Melbourne had accidentally loaded servings of Chiva Som’s Rich Beef Curry, which to my tastes and experience is better known as a Mustaman Curry.

It just so happens that we have six Thai restaurants in Fairbanks and, having eaten at all of them many times, I’ve developed quite an affinity for Thai curries. One of my favorites is Mustaman Curry. So, all things considered, I wasn’t at all disappointed with the switch, for had I seen Mustaman Curry on the menu I would have ordered it without hesitation. I only wonder how the crew missed catching the difference? Maybe they hoped I wouldn’t be able to tell.

Doesn’t Baked Banana Cheesecake sound delicious? Just typing out the name is making me hungry. I knew I wanted some as soon as I saw it on the menu. Unfortunately, after tonight’s feast I was well and truly stuffed. Instead, I settled for a cup of decaffeinated coffee, which I savored over couple of tasty pralines.

So – chalk up yet another fine meal aboard British Airways. I can’t imagine how anyone aside from vegetarians and fans of duck curry could complain about any aspect of this meal. From canapés to coffee, flavor to presentation, it was as good as it gets aloft. Well done, BA!

And for anyone out there who sniffs that I eat too much on these flights, they’re right – I do. And I’ll continue to. Do I eat like this every day at home? No, but I love First Class inflight dining and like to try as much variety as I can. So what’s wanted here – an apology or a trip report that describes the meal service more in depth? Would it be preferable if I were one of those wispy little creatures who whimpers over the large size of their dinner salad or turns up their nose at anything with too many carbs or calories? If so, don’t read my trip reports. You might gain a couple of pounds!

Flight time to Singapore was projected at just over seven hours. By the time the last of my plates had been cleared, we were midway between Kalgoorlie and Alice Springs. Normally BA18 heads straight out from Melbourne on a line that takes it between Adelaide and Coober Pedy but tonight our route of flight was taking a surprisingly southerly tack, one that had us following the southern Australian coastline for a good three or four hundred miles beyond Adelaide before finally taking a more northwesterly course towards Port Hedland.

Out my windows, the sun was still a good hour or more from setting. Unfortunately it was shining directly into my eyes and so I was forced to lower my shades until it got a bit lower. Later on, I reclined my seat to a more comfortable position, kicked up my feet on the ottoman/guest seat across from me and turned to this month’s movie selections in High Life Magazine. With the Academy Awards coming up in the next week, I’d been hearing a lot about Joaquin Phoenix and Reece Witherspoon’s performances in the Johnny Cash biography I Walk The Line. Now seemed like a good time to watch it.

As much as I enjoyed this movie, I couldn’t help changing the channel over to the AirShow every now and then just to check on our progress. We were about four hours into the flight by the time we left Australia behind at Port Hedland and headed out over the Indian Ocean. Not long afterwards, I had to take an unplanned fifteen minute break during the middle of the movie to check out one of the all time nicest sunsets I have ever seen aloft. It’s moments like this that make flying so magical. The ocean below was so calm that the clouds above were reflecting off of it. I took about a dozen pictures and then my batteries ran out. Thankfully I had a fresh set in my carry-on bag above me. As I got up to retrieve it, I looked around the cabin and noticed that I was the only one aware of the incredible beauty just outside the windows. Everybody else was either reading, watching a movie or sleeping.

I’ve flown over 3.2 million miles, driven over 1.5 million miles and ridden trains over 200,000 miles and I still never tire of checking out the scenery along the way. This doesn’t mean I spend the entire trip looking out the window. I just take time to check out the view now and then and – if it’s particularly nice – I’ll stop what I’m doing long enough to take a moment or two to enjoy it. I sure hope I never get to that point where I could care less about the magnificence of flight. It sure is a beautiful world up there.

It’s not often that we get treated to a preview of Heaven such as on tonight’s flight. I was tempted to say something to someone – anyone – but I reckon we all have different interests in life and it’s not for me to impose my excitement on others over something that they may have little or no interest in. This is particularly true in the serenity of the First Class cabin.

About halfway through the movie, I requested a plate of blue cheese and a glass of Port. Try getting this level of service at your local movie theater! Out my window, a distant orange and pink glow lit the turquoise western sky as we continued across the Indonesian island of Java. As I leaned back into my suite, savored my blue cheese with port and enjoyed the rest of the movie, I was once again reminded that this was one of those moments of First Class travel at its finest. A comfortable and spacious seat, fine food and wine, a good movie and a spectacular view of the heavens ~ all while cruising serenely 38,000 feet above the earth. Ah… it’s a good life…

Later, I took a stroll back through the Club World and World Traveller cabins. This flight was only about 75% full and everybody looked to be pretty comfortably spread out. I will say however that anyone who thinks there’s not that much difference in space between Club World and First Class needs to have their eyesight checked. By Business Class standards, Club World is a very good product but in terms of space it doesn’t come anywhere near the privacy afforded one in the First Class cabin.

Refreshments had already been served in both Club World and World Traveller cabins. The folks in the way back looked to be enjoying a good sized sandwich that looked something like a hamburger. It came in a bag rather than on a tray and looked pretty filling. Up in Club World, a full plate of reception sandwiches was the order of the day. As I passed through the First Class galley, I couldn’t help but savor the smell of something delicious cooking in the aircraft ovens. Table settings were being laid in the forward cabin and the refreshments would soon be served. A spare menu was available back in the galley and I took a moment to check out the offerings before returning to my seat.


REFRESHMENTS

Snacks
A selection of reception sandwiches
Savoury Danish pastry

Patisserie
Afternoon tea pastries and cake


“What’s a savory Danish pastry?” I asked. After all, the only Danish pastries I knew of were of the sweet breakfast variety and these pastries were listed under snacks rather than patisseries. Charles pulled a hot tray of them out of the oven to show me. Tonight’s choices included an egg and bacon filled pie and what appeared to be a baked vegetable wrap. I requested one of the pies along with a couple of dessert pastries and returned to my seat. We were less than an hour out of Singapore and soon this wonderful flight would come to an end.

As is so often the case, distant heat lightning could be seen as we began our initial descent into Singapore. I thought it looked really neat the way it lit up the clouds in the area. Given the heat and humidity in this region, I can’t help but wonder if thunderstorms are a regular evening event when the sun goes down.

Singapore at night is a beautiful city to fly into. The water, lights of the city and puffy clouds all combine to make an interesting and scenic approach. Add to this the multitude of brightly lit ships at anchor out in the harbor and Singapore may well be my favorite city to fly into at night. Hong Kong and Seattle would rate a close second, and lets not forget the spectacular fly by of Manhattan one enjoys whilst making the final approach into Newark.

It was obviously a busy night at Singapore’s Changi International Airport. As we taxied to the terminal, I saw all manner of Asian and European widebodies parked at the gates. We parked at gate C-25, the very farthest one from the main terminal area. Beside us was a JAL 777-200, resplendent in its shiny new livery . Just up the way were an Air Seychelles 767-300, a United 777-200 and 747-400s from KLM and Lufthansa. Qantas also had two or three jets in town, including an A330.

Of all the international airports through which I’ve flown, Singapore’s Changi International is my favorite. Aside from the practical reasons such as being well laid out and easy to get around, the tone and ambience of this airport is very friendly and comfortable. It’s well lit, but not overly bright and the interior colors and plants contribute to a warm rather than austere ambience.

I paid a short visit to the First Class lounge where a hot shower and ten minutes on the Internet awaited me. Before long, the call for boarding was made and I began the long trek back down to C-25.

Seat 2A

DAY TWO Continues
Singapore to London
British Airways First Class
Boeing 747-400 G-CIVC Seat 1A
1135p-550a Flight time: 12:21

Although I’ve never enjoyed flying in the middle of the night, I can certainly appreciate the logic behind these late night departures out of Singapore. With a flight time into London of twelve and a half to thirteen hours, there’s plenty of time to enjoy a late dinner, then get a good night’s sleep and awake refreshed to a hot breakfast and an early morning arrival at Heathrow. For those originating in southeast Asia or those who live in England or Europe, this schedule must diminish the effects of jetlag considerably.

Having boarded this flight at 5:30pm in Australia, I was pretty beat by the time we landed in Singapore at a little after 10:00pm. Back in Melbourne it was 1:00am. In New Zealand it was 3:00am. It was after midnight Singapore time by the time we once again took to the air enroute to London. No way was I going to be able to stay up an extra two hours just to eat a full seven course meal before then trying to sleep on a full stomach. Instead, as the purser came around the cabin taking dinner orders, I indicated that I’d be sleeping first, then eating later. After all, there was no sense trying to adjust to London time when I’d only be laying over there for a few hours before continuing on to a time zone nine hours farther on.

Thankfully, having your dinner served to you at 7:00am Singapore time or 11:00pm London time is not a problem on British Airways. Their First Class cabin staff are on duty for the entire flight and will happily serve you whatever it is you’d like to eat at whatever hour you’d like to eat it. All I had to do upon waking was notify a member of the crew and allow thirty minutes’ time for the meal to be heated and prepared. Simple enough. All that was left to do now was indicate my dinner preferences. Let’s check out that menu once again:


Singapore to London

DINNER

Appetizers
Smoked salmon
Chiva-Som’s baked Ricotta cheese parcel, grilled courgette, baked tomato, enoki mushrooms and red pepper coulis

Soup
Red pepper and sweetcorn soup

Salad
Fresh salad leaves with your choice of vinaigrette or herb yogurt dressing


MAIN COURSES

Grilled Veal Chop with Sage Butter
Accompanied by mustard mashed potatoes, asparagus and baby carrots

Chiva-Som’s Steamed Fish
Prepared with soya and ginger broth

Soy Marinated Braised Chicken in Hot Bean Sauce
Served with stir-fried vegetables and steamed rice

Grilled Salmon and Scallops
Presented atop fresh salad leaves with saffron dressing

* * * * * * * * * * *

CHEESE PLATE

Port Wine Cheddar ~ A full flavour and buttery texture are hallmarks of this classic cheese

Roquefort ~ A crumbly sheep’s milk cheese, Roquefort is characterized by a complex flavour and striking blue veining

Double Cream Camembert ~ A classic cow’s milk cheese from the Normandy region, Camembert features a creamy texture with full flavour

A Basket of Fresh Fruit


DESSERT
Golden treacle pudding with passion fruit ice cream
Chocolate mousse cake

* * * * * * * * * * *

SNACKS

Tri-couloured fusilli pasta with your choice of creamy mushroom sauce or tomato and Feta cheese sauce
Bacon roll served with tomato ketchup
A selection of reception sandwiches
Ice cream
A selection of sweet biscuits
A selection of cheese and fruit




I decided to start with a plate of smoked salmon, followed by a bowl of the red pepper and sweetcorn soup. For my main meal, I chose the Soy Marinated Braised Chicken in Hot Bean Sauce. I’ve had good luck with Asian meals out of Singapore, so this was the obvious choice, especially after my misadventure with the overcooked filet I was served on the Singapore – Melbourne flight two weeks ago. I passed on the salad or a second appetizer because I wanted to try the golden treacle pudding dessert. I’ve attempted twice before on BA to order one of these British puddings, and each time they were sold out. The Flight Attendant informed me that they are extremely popular and almost always sell out. I was bound and determined to find out what all the excitement was about.

Now let’s fast forward six hours into the flight. I awoke just west of Kabul, Afghanistan, something I’ve done twice before. I’m always thankful that our cruising altitude of 36,000 feet puts us well above the range of any hostilities below. Do the Taliban have an Air Force? Does it have any jets?

The AirShow map indicated local time in London was about 11:30pm. We had about six and a half more hours of flying ahead of us. Given the local time, I considered this meal a late dinner – or a midnight snack if you will.

BA used to glamorize its salmon appetizers with identifying terms like Loch Fyne, but despite the lack of brand or identifying names, I’ve never noticed any of the non-embellished salmon brands tasting any better or worse than the fancy named salmon. This includes Cathay’s Balik Salmon “Tsar Nicolaj”. They’re all very good! Tonight’s salmon was presented with a crispy samosa and a zesty dipping sauce. Combined, these all made for a very good appetizer.

Following a good though not memorable soup, the main course was brought out. BA has taken to presenting many of its Southeast Asian and Indian dishes in bowls, something I think cheapens the overall presentation compared to a plate. I’d prefer they save the bowls for cereals and soups. That aside however, this was a pretty good entrée, though one that could have used a good deal more spice. I like my Asian foods a little more on the spicy side and so asked the crew what they might have to liven the meal up. I was told that unfortunately, short of salt, pepper and mustard, nothing was available on this flight. This would certainly never happen on Cathay Pacific. Still, I’m not going to nit pick over a lack of spice. The meal was pretty good and - I’m sure - more than spicy enough for most of the other passengers. Remind me to carry a bottle of Dave’s Insanity Sauce on my next BA flight…

And what of that Golden Treacle Pudding? If nothing else, I was curious as to just what a treacle was. Well, what I was served was a baked cornbread-like thing, blackened on top, and accompanied by ice cream that tasted more like vanilla rather than passion fruit. As desserts go, it wasn’t bad but really nothing special either. As First Class fare goes - especially on a route that competes with Singapore Airlines - I would have expected something a bit more elaborate, perhaps a layered cake or that berry lasagna. Still, there’s also beauty in simplicity and BA’s clientele have certainly shown that they do like their puddings. Coffee and pralines closed out the meal and now, with a little more than five hours yet to go, I plugged in my laptop and set to work on this report.

I love these twelve to fifteen hour flights because they allow me plenty of time to experience all aspects of a good First Class inflight product. I really would rather not sleep my way through an International First Class service for the simple fact that it’s more difficult to appreciate when you’re not conscious. Still, I’m not twenty years old anymore and I can’t stay awake for two straight days like I used to be able to. Thankfully, on a flight of this length, despite taking advantage of the full length bed and getting a few hours of sleep, I still have plenty of time left over to enjoy a leisurely meal or two, watch a movie, read a bit or put in some “work” on this trip report. The only thing I don’t like about this flight is that it takes place entirely in the dark. I really miss the view out my window. It’s a lot harder to appreciate being aloft when you can’t see anything.

My perfect First Class flight on this route would leave Singapore at 12:00 noon and land in London at 7:00pm. In between, I’d get to enjoy the scenery while flying up the Malay peninsula, then on along southern Myanmar and across northern India before crossing the high peaks of the Kashmir and continuing over Pakistan and Afghanistan. We’d continue across the Aral and Caspian Seas, proceeding across the Ukraine and central Europe before descending over the rolling plains of England into Heathrow. Along the way I’d get to enjoy a full lunch and dinner service and best of all, the sun would be shining throughout the flight.

Breakfast started surprisingly early, about two hours out of London. The Flight Attendant mentioned that usually they get started a bit later but enough people were up and ready to eat, so there you have it. Here’s the menu:


BREAKFAST

STARTERS

Chilled fruit juice

An energizing fruit smoothie

A selection of fruit or plain yogurts and cereals including Chiva-Som’s muesli

Fresh seasonal fruit plate

BAKERY

A wide selection of breakfast pastries and rolls

MAIN COURSE

Full English Breakfast
Scrambled eggs, grilled bacon, pork sausages, sautéed mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and hash-brown potatoes

Chiva-Som’s Stuffed Thai Omelette

Seafood Laksa Soup



It was explained that if I wanted scrambled eggs, I’d need to fairly soon. (We were still about an hour and a half out…). Actually, my preference would have been to eat a bit later, so I asked about the Seafood Laksa Soup. I’d had my fill of the stuffed Thai omelette on the flight out. The soup was described as being a fish based breakfast soup that was, in the words of the Flight Attendant, “not for the faint hearted”.

Alright then, I guess I’m having scrambled eggs again. I was a bit surprised that the crew wouldn’t scramble up another batch for later in the flight but who knows – maybe they’d already scrambled their allotment, especially if the other passengers felt the same as I about the stuffed Thai omelette and the fishy breakfast soup.

Approach into sleepy London was pretty straight forward. We came in from the east, made a big turn to the north, then straightened out and landed. In all, not a bad flight but one that I’d love to someday fly during daylight hours.

Seat 2A

LHR LAYOVER

As I sit here in the early morning darkness of the Concorde Room, it’s absolutely amazing to me that exactly twenty-four hours ago I was dining on prawns and chicken risotto over the Victorian Desert. In between, only three of the past twenty-four hours have been spent outside of an airplane. Generally I think of flying on a single flight from one place to another on the planet as something that should take no more than a few hours, generally no more than say - fifteen hours. Between Melbourne and London, the total distance flown via Singapore is 10,510 miles, with an aggregate flying time of about 19 ˝ hours. The stop in Singapore notwithstanding, these single flights between Australia and London must surely be amongst the longest in the world.

My connecting flight to Los Angeles was to depart from Terminal 1 but it wouldn’t be leaving for another six hours. Since we’d arrived at Terminal 4, it only made sense to pay a visit to the Concorde Room. However, the receptionist working the front desk of the Concorde Room begged to differ. Indeed, she seemed to think I was crazy for not heading straight over to Terminal 1.

“My LA flight doesn’t leave for another five and a half hours.” I told her.
“Yes but you’ll want to make sure you get over there in plenty of time!” was her reply.
“How long does it take to get over to Terminal One?” I asked.
“About forty-five minutes”
“So…, I should have plenty of time.”
“Well you’ll want to make sure you leave here at least two and a half hours beforehand!”
“Right! I’ll see what I can do.”

One thing I don’t need at 6:30am is needless badgering from the lounge staff. This “The Sky is Falling!” approach to timely check-in seemed a bit over the top and certainly unwarranted given my almost six hour layover time and the fact that I was already checked in. A simple reminder that it would be a good idea to allow plenty of time to get over to Terminal 1 would have been sufficient.

As it was, I decided to go down to the Molton Brown Spa for a shower at about 9:00am, then head over to Terminal One. Despite the fairly late morning hour however, there was a 45-minute wait for showers. It was explained that the T-4 Molton Brown Spa has only four or five showers, whereas their sister spa over at T-1 has about ten showers. Thanks – I’m on my way.

It took me only about twenty-five minutes to get from Terminal 4 over to Terminal 1. The longest part was waiting for the inter-terminal bus to show up. Given circumstances similar to mine, (i.e. average traffic, average crowds, already checked in, etc) I would say that one should leave the Concorde Room at least an hour and a half in advance of the Terminal 1 departure time to safely get to the gate with time to spare.

Then again, if it’s your intention to pay a visit to BA’s Lounge Complex at Terminal 1, allow a little more time. I’ve made three visits to the T-1 First Class lounge so far, each time before noon. Unlike the Concorde Room, this lounge offers a very nice continental breakfast buffet featuring a particularly nice citrus fruit salad – one of my favorites. Also available are plenty of breads, yogurts and cereals. A menu offering the same snack items as the Concorde Room is also available. To my experience, the only thing better about the Concorde Room are the big picture windows that contribute substantially to a nicer ambience.

Seat 2A

DAY THREE
London to Los Angeles
British Airways First Class
Boeing 747-400 G-CIVN Seat 2K
1155a-235p Flight time: 11:37

It’s about a ten minute walk from BA’s Lounge Complex down to gates in the 55-59 range. Boarding had not yet begun when I arrived at gate 55, and the gate lounge was only sparsely populated. In fact, the big 747 operating this flight looked to be about two hundred seats too big for today’s “crowd”. I’d say an A310 could have handled our load quite comfortably.

It was a gray, drizzly winter day in London and so I wasted no time in boarding the aircraft and getting settled in for the ten and a half-hour flight over to Los Angeles. Soon enough we’d be leaving this wintry day behind and climbing into that bright sunny world above. In the meantime, I tossed back Mimosas and Macadamia nuts with abandon – I think I was on my third Mimosa as we began our pushback from the gate.

An all female crew was serving the First Class cabin today. Aside from the CSD, all three of these ladies seemed more than a bit befuddled and amateurish. It was quite a surprise given the usually high standards that I’ve always enjoyed aboard British Airways. I considered that perhaps BA might have instituted an exchange program with one of the US airlines, but then each of these ladies had British accents. To be sure, the two serving my side were all reactive rather than proactive. More often than not I had to ring my call button for whatever I wanted. I watched with surprise as not one but two different passengers who’d eaten late actually got up and cleared the last plates from their tables on their own. I kid you not when I say that one FA in particular – unfortunately the one serving my side of the cabin – was clearly out of her element. Perhaps the crew that was supposed to be working this flight got laid up somewhere or a couple of people called in sick. These gals definitely seemed better suited to the shorter intra-European flights.

After watching the second guy across the cabin bus his table, I gave some thought to firing off a letter to BA. If I were paying the big bucks for this kind of service, I’d be mightily disappointed. But then, I’m traveling on an award ticket and always have when it comes to First Class travel aboard BA. It’s so easy to complain when things don’t go just right, and when they do it’s equally easy to take them for granted. Overall, the service I’ve received from BA personnel both in the air and on the ground has been very, very good. All things considered from my personal experience, BA is far more deserving of a letter praising their fine service. Since I’d not yet written a letter to that effect, I resolved to do just that before the week is out.

Perhaps because of the light load, we made short work of the take off roll and were soon climbing through the last of the cloud cover and into bright sunshine. Sure enough, about half the cabin slammed their window shades down. What is this?! Have we got a bunch of coal miners on board? Why is everyone so comfortable in the dark? It’s still midday.

About thirty minutes into the flight, hot towels were presented. In my case they needn’t have bothered since my towel was tepid and not very moist at all. Drink orders were taken shortly afterwards. The wine list was the same as on my inbound flight from Phoenix to London. On that flight I’d sampled all the red wines. For this flight I decided to check out the whites. Here are the listings:


WINE LIST

CHAMPAGNE

Alfred Gratien Cuvée Paradis
A remarkably luxurious deluxe cuvée Champagne produced from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes from, exclusively, grand cru vineyards. This was a big favorite from the Concorde Cellar.

WHITE WINES

Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 2003, Domaine William Fevre
2003 was an uncharacteristically hot year in Chablis and the wines are richer and more rounded than normal, yet still with a core of lemony freshness

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Riesling 2004, Margaret River
A delicate floral aroma leads to a much fuller flavor of lime, elderflower and soft peach – a delightful expression of the noblest white wine grape

Renwood Select Series Viognier 2004
The Viognier grape is hand-picked from selected sites to give a rich style with a dominant flavor of fresh white peach

RED WINES

Chateau Talbot 1995, Grand Cru Classé Saint-Julien
Talbot is such a consistent performer and shows all the silky texture and suppleness one has come to expect from the great Saint-Julien Chateaux

Beaune 1er Cru Champimonts 2001, Domaine Jacques Prieur
2001 was a fantastic vintage for red Burgundy – this has a great aroma of fresh raspberry and a vibrant, mouth-filling flavour

Treana Central Coast Red 2002, Paso Robles
A blend of Cabernet, Merloz and Syrah from California’s central coast – ripe and full-bodied with intense blackberry and plum flavours

DESSERT WINES

Opitz Goldackerl Trockenbeerenauslese 2002, Austria
Austria makes some of the finest sweet wines in the world. The effervescent Willi Opitz, from his tiny vineyards in Illmitz near the Hungarian border, produces some of the very best in the country

Warre’s 1988 Colheita Port
Complex, sweet nutty flavours offer an admirable after dinner glass



I requested a glass of the Viognier but was informed that unfortunately this wine was not available on today’s flight. Hmm… Alright, make it a glass of the Chablis, please. Oh, and if you should happen to have any extra canapés…

Unfortunately, there were no extra canapés but I did enjoy the Chablis and was able to finagle another small portion of those tasty Macadamia nuts. After all, I was Hawaii bound! Unfortunately, BA does not serve Mai Tais.

For whatever reason, luncheon orders were not taken until almost forty-five minutes into the flight and thirty minutes later I had to call and request that my table please be set and that I was ready to eat. I only did this because everyone around me was already eating. The guy across from me in 2A had already had his first course cleared. At no time during my placing my meal order did I ever indicate that I wished to eat later. I think the FA on my side was just a bit overwhelmed. Anyway, here’s the luncheon menu:


London to Los Angeles

LUNCHEON

Appetizers
Chiva-Som’s lobster and crayfish with dressing
Potato and truffle fritatta with rocket and sherry vinaigrette

Soup
Spicy butternut squash soup with harissa dressing

Salad
Fresh salad leaves with your choice of piquillo pepper dressing or Blue cheese and walnut dressing


MAIN COURSE

Rack of Lamb with Herb Crust
Accompanied by buttered potatoes fondantes and a natural jus

Green Herbed Chicken
Served with cumin and pine kernel potaoes, creamy black lentils, spicy wilted spinach and basil poori

Chiva-Som’s Rich Beef Curry
Presented with lime and lemon grass brown rice

Poached Loch Fyne Salmon
Accompanied by asparagus and potato salad with a lemon dressing

Please feel free to request an alternative selection of vegetables from the menu

SNACKS

Penne Pasta with your choice of creamy Parmesan cheese and spinach sauce or olive, caper and tomato sauce

Bacon roll served with tomato ketchup

A selection of sweet biscuits

A selection of cheese and fruit

CHEESE PLATE

Lancashire ~ This cheese continues a long tradition of mild, flavourful English farmhouse cheeses
Peyrigoux ~ Hailing from France’s Perigord region, this creamy cheese is made from cow’s milk
Gorgonzola ~ Arguably the most famous cheese of Lombardy, Gorgonzola is a blue, pasteurized cow’s milk cheese with an earthy flavour

DESSERT

Warm Fig Tart with vanilla ice cream

Fresh Berries Lasagna with Mascarpone cream

A basket of fresh fruit




Hmm… this is almost exactly same menu I had out of London to Singapore a couple of weeks ago. The only difference was that Green Herbed Chicken had replaced the Chicken in Ginger Sauce. This new chicken entrée looked quite good, especially since I like Indian food. So, I started with another serving of the lobster and crayfish appetizer followed by a bowl of the spicy butternut squash soup with harissa dressing, whatever that is. Ah what the heck – let’s throw in a small salad too. I’ll have the pepper dressing, please. Since I’d already had the lamb and the curry on earlier flights, it only made sense to try out the Green Herbed Chicken. I noticed that the Fresh Berries Lasagna with Mascarpone cream that I’d so enjoyed on my flight down to Singapore was back on the dessert menu but with all the food coming up before then, I doubted I’d have room for it. Perhaps later in the flight.

Overall, this turned out to be a pretty good meal. The soup in particular was surprisingly good and the green herbed chicken proved to be an excellent entrée choice. The herbs didn’t add a whole lot of flavor to the chicken, but the accompanying potatoes, spinach and lentils provided plenty of extra flavor and spice.

It occurred to me as I was tucking into my lobster that only twenty-four hours ago I was just arriving in Singapore. Here I was enjoying a bright sunny day outside and yet twenty-four hours ago it was dark, closing in on midnight. I asked for another glass of wine and moved on…

After lunch, I reclined my seat and watched Russell Crowe in Cinderella Man. A small plate of Gorgonzola and a glass of port accompanied the film, which I quite enjoyed. Chalk up another fine job of acting for Mr. Crowe. By the time the movie had ended, we were just passing over the west coast of Greenland and headed for the entrance to the Hudson Bay. With just over six hours left in the flight, it was time for a nap.

When I awoke, a quick glance at the AirShow indicated we were maybe one hundred miles east of Medicine Hat, Alberta, cruising at 38,000 feet while speeding along at 506mph. Oh good ~ The Rockies will be coming up soon! A quick peek out my window showed nothing but clouds, however. The outside air temperature was a frosty -85şF. I laid back down and pulled my duvet back up over me. It sure is nice to be warm and comfortable in a fully reclined suite up in the nose of a 747. Life is good.

An hour and a half out of Los Angeles, our tables were once again laid for the Afternoon Tea service. Before ever having flown any of these London to LA flights, I used to think that a ten and a half hour flight leaving mid-day would require two full meal services. After all, if you leave London at noon and eat lunch at one, it would stand to reason that that by about 8:00pm London time you’d be ready for dinner. That’s how it usually plays out in day to day life on the ground. Still, I must admit that I don’t usually eat lunches quite as large as what I was served earlier today. Perhaps because of that, I’m quite certain that I could not eat another similar sized meal later in the flight. Add to this our mid-afternoon arrival at LAX and the Afternoon Tea makes a lot more sense. Here are the menu selections:


AFTERNOON TEA

SNACKS

A selection of sandwiches featuring:
Roast beef with whole grain mustard
Smoked salmon with cream cheese
Chicken Caesar with Red Leicester cheese
Mature Cheddar cheese with tangy pickle

Savoury Danish Pastry

PÂTISSERIE

Plain or fruit scones served warm with clotted cream and strawberry jam

Moist ginger cake, strawberry mille-feuille and chocolate tart



Today’s savoury Danish pastries were nowhere near as savoury as the ones I’d been served on the Melbourne to Singapore flight two days ago. Today’s versions were little more than an attractive lot of flaky dough with flecks of vegetable matter sprinkled through the inside. Thankfully a couple of sandwiches redeemed this meal and a couple of scones with real clotted cream brought it to a nice conclusion.

During the last hour of the flight, the skies cleared and those of us on the starboard side had excellent views of the Great Salt Lake, southern Utah and Death Valley National Park. The beautiful weather continued all the way into the Los Angeles Basin and so our approach over the San Bernardino Mountains and on into LAX was quite pretty. Finally, after a flight of ten hours and twenty-one minutes, we touched down lightly at Los Angeles International Airport and took our place amongst a colorful array of international airliners at the Tom Bradley International Terminal.


*** ***** ***

BA did not serve up one of its better performances on this flight into Los Angeles, but overall I was quite pleased with the service and the food I’ve received since departing Melbourne forty hours ago. While few if any would disagree that Cathay and Singapore provide a superior First Class product, I think BA’s overall service in the forward cabin place it quite reasonably amongst the world’s ten best airlines. If and when they get around to revamping the First Class cabin with new suites and a top of the line IFE system, BA may even climb into the top five.

Seat 2A

DAY FOUR
Los Angeles to Honolulu
Northwest Economy Class
Boeing 757-300 N594NW Seat 27A
235p-639p

The high pressure dominating Southern California delivered yet another sunny day for this early afternoon departure to the Aloha State. I could even see the downtown buildings and distant mountains from the airport, something that rarely ever occurs given the usual marine layer and/or smog levels.

My original plan was to fly into Miami and take a couple days with friends in south Florida before continuing on to Colorado. That all changed one chilly January night when I came across the following thread in FlyerTalk’s Mileage Run Forum:

SFO-HNL $141.00 All In.

Now on roundtrip airfare alone this would have been a great deal, but it included much more than simple airfare. Northwest Airlines Vacations in conjunction with ResortQuest Hotels was offering the following deal: Purchase an Air/Land package to Hawaii and stay at a ResortQuest property during the month of March and get $400.00 deducted from the total price of the package.

I logged on about an hour after this thread had been originally posted and as the dialogue progressed, someone discovered that if you were to depart out of LAX and stay two nights at the least expensive ResortQuest property – that being the Coral Reef Hotel – your total cost for roundtrip air and two nights hotel would come out to an eye popping $93.95!

Never one to pass up a really good travel deal, I immediately called the Alaska Airlines Partner Desk to see if I could change my itinerary to fly into LAX rather than MIA. Yes sir, that shouldn’t be a problem. Fantastic! Book it, Danno! March 1-3! Ah, what the heck, let’s go again on March 4-6 as well. I’ll call it a deluxe Mileage Run. Northwest is a partner in Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan and, as an MVP Gold, I’ll get double mileage credit on those four 2,560 mile flights between LA and Honolulu. This means that for only $188.00 I’ll accrue just over 20,000 miles – enough for a free saver roundtrip from Fairbanks to anywhere Alaska Airlines flies in the Lower 48.

A hearty round of applause and a big THANK YOU go out to Gumbo Chef for alerting us all to this great deal! Good job, man!

And so it was that I found myself strolling into Northwest’s LAX WorldClub at 1:00pm on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, primed and ready for my first trip Back to Hawaii in ten years. Already in the club were fellow FTers TransWorldOne and rockyp. Following a couple of rounds of beer, scotch and coffee, boarding was called and we headed down to the gate.

Boeing’s 757-300 has become Northwest’s workhorse on the West Coast to Honolulu runs. Waiting for at gate 22 was ETOPS certified ship N594NW, quite possibly (one of) the newest 757 in Northwest’s considerable fleet. The flight was only about 70% full so most of the middle seats were unoccupied and there was plenty of room to spread out. Thankfully, my MVP Gold status allowed me to reserve in advance a reclining exit row window seat for all four of my flights out to the islands and back.

Flight time was predicted at five hours and forty minutes. Conditions in Honolulu were partly cloudy and 76ş. Where’s my Mai Tai and Macadamia nuts?! Oh that's right – I’m back in steerage again...

Actually, service on Northwest’s Hawaii flights is pretty basic these days, even in First Class. Gone are the days of Northwest’s Regal Imperial Service with trolley service featuring tropical drinks, entrees and Northwest’s famous dessert cart. Hawaii is now viewed as a domestic destination and inflight service – even on this almost six hour flight – is no better than you’d receive on a two hour Detroit to Tampa flight. It’s really quite shocking when one remembers how nice the Hawaii service used to be with menus featuring appetizers and multiple entrees even in Economy Class! These days, First Class gets less than Economy used to get in the seventies, while Economy gets only complimentary beverages and pretzels. A selection of sandwiches is available for $5.00 each as well as a snack box featuring crackers, cheese, trail mix and cookies for just $3.00. I highly recommend self-catering.

Given the precipitous decline in the First Class product over the years, I wouldn’t pay even $50.00 to upgrade. The First Class legroom on Northwest’s 757s is in the 38-40” range and as the happy holder of an exit row window seat, I think I’ve got the better seat. As for food, my $8.00 Wolfgang Puck sandwich will do me just fine, thank you.

Whatever class I’m sitting in, it’s always exciting to be going to Hawaii. Having recently endured flights of seven, twelve and ten hours respectively, this little five and a half hour jaunt across to the islands was no big deal for me. The middle seat was empty, so seatmate and I both had plenty of room to stretch out. He slept and read through most of the flight while I started out with the crossword puzzle in NWA’s magazine followed by Wolfgang Puck’s Pesto Chicken sandwich for lunch. High clouds blanketed much of the Pacific, though occasional glimpses of its deep blue expanse could be seen now and then. Along the way I watched a few episodes from a collection of old 1970s era Mission Impossible programs that I’d recently purchased via Ebay.

Time flies when you’re having fun and before much longer we were on our descent through broken clouds into rainy Honolulu. The landing signified the end of four days and 20,260 miles worth of travel for me. As we taxied into the gate, Northwest’s Minneapolis bound DC-10 was just pushing back. Two hundred fifty visitors depart Hawaii, another two hundred arrive.

Unfortunately, I’m in the middle of a longer period of travels rather than just doing a weekend jaunt like my fellow FTers. This meant that I had checked baggage. I told TransWorldOne and rockyp to head on into Waikiki without me (we were all staying at different hotels, anyway) while I waited for baggage. And wait I did – almost 45 minutes before finally retrieving my bag. By the time the airport shuttle deposited me at the Coral Reef Hotel, it was almost 9:00pm. I checked in, bought a half-rack of Steinlager on sale at the 7-11 off the lobby and twenty minutes later was soaking up the view, the tradewinds and a few Steinies out on my 11th floor balcony.

Ah… it’s good to be back in Hawaii again!

Aloha!

AJLondon

Seat 2A, another classic exposé of the trials and tribulations of flying BA First Class. ^

SMART51

Again a great and enjoyable report. ^ ^ ^

Kiwi Flyer

Excellent - another report by Seat 2A to look forward to reading. I told myself I'd save it for an upcoming flight, but you see I couldn't help myself and start reading.

Lufthansa is another airline with First class upstairs - it doesnt seem right to me either, but I'll take it over economy any day.

What a way with words you have, and a nice sentiment - one I share.

Waihi49

What a fabulous report! You mentioned flying First on a Royal Air Maroc 747SP. Have you have posted a report on that flight - date?- and if not, any chance that you could post the menus? As you can tell, I am a menu addict!!

Seat 2A

I flew that Royal Air Maroc 747SP between Montreal and New York back in 1985. The aircraft was leased from South African Airways and I recall that ottomans were available for First Class passengers, but interestingly, they were not a permanent fixture of the cabin - i.e. they were loose and could be moved around. YMX-JFK is only an hour flight, so service was minimal - a couple of reception sandwiches and drinks served by a flight attendant who's English language skills left much to be desired. Of course, there was no FlyerTalk back then and no real forum for Trip Reports either. No menu was ever handed out, perhaps because the main service wasn't until the flight from JFK to Casablanca.

As for other trip reports that I've posted, all of them with menu transcripts where appropriate, here's a listing:


TWA FIRST CLASS DEN-JFK 1972 ~ The Good Old Days

What started out as a simple post of a menu from a TWA flight of 30 years ago evolved into a forum for many flyers to reminisce about their experiences from the “Good Old days” of commercial aviation.

FIRST CLASS ON AMTRAK’S COAST STARLIGHT

The Coast Starlight is the finest train in Amtrak’s system. Here’s my first ever report about riding this train from a First Class perspective

DENVER TO HONOLULU VIA CANADA IN 1976 (On a trip that was supposed to go to Mexico)

I thought I was going to Mexico and had the tickets in hand to do just that. Two hours later, I was booked into a First Class seat aboard a Qantas 747 on my way to Hawaii. But that’s only the beginning. The journey continues on to Alaska, New York and back to Hawaii before finally returning home to Colorado at Summer’s end.

EP's MILEAGE RUN ~ AN AMERICAN ODYSSEY

My first ever Flight Report. A pretty typical jaunt around the country a few times, all in the pursuit of miles. I had lots of fun writing this in the early days of Post-911 travel.

ALASKA AIRLINES FIRST CLASS ~ SEA-ANC

This is a continuation of the above thread

SEATTLE TO ANCHORAGE ~ Detailssss

My spoof on some of the incredibly detailed Trip Reports I’d seen published at FlyerTalk three years ago.

14 Flights, 17000 Miles FAI-SFO-MCO-SEA-MCO-FAI in First and Coach on AS & UA

My last Mileage Run on United before many of United’s nicer First Class services disappeared for good.

ALASKA TO NEW ZEALAND ~ THE LONG WAY

One of my all-time favorite trips ~ First Class aboard British Airways for the first time, across to London, Singapore and on to Melbourne before connecting to Air New Zealand’s excellent trans-Tasman Business Class to Auckland and on to Christchurch. Over 20,000 miles in four days.

NEW ZEALAND TRAIN ADVENTURE ~ Christchurch to Greymouth Aboard The Tranz Alpine

Travel via New Zealand’s Tranz Alpine from Christchurch across the South Island to Greymouth.

CHRISTCHURCH TO MELBOURNE WITH NZ & UA

The title says it all. This trip included an op-upgrade to Business Class on United’s 747-400 between AKL and MEL.

FROM THE NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC TO THE SOUTHWESTERN PACIFIC

In the middle of my trip to New Zealand, I made a quick trip back to Alaska. Now I had to get back to New Zealand. Travel aboard Alaska Airlines, Amtrak, United and Qantas are highlighted.

TE ANAU to TASMANIA via DC-3, 737, 767 and 717

A surprise flight aboard a DC-3, hitching a ride with some crazy Germans, being mistaken for a famous marathoner, Business Class meal service aboard a 25 minute jet flight from Queenstown up to Christchurch, and fine inflight service aboard aging 767-200 aircraft across the Tasman Sea to Australia where a shiny new 717-200 awaits to get me down to Tasmania.

TASMANIA TO ALASKA - via FINLAND!

My first ever visit to Finland, but first I must get there – First Class aboard British Airways via Singapore and London, then an SAS MD-90 and an Air Botnia Avro RJ-85 (Bae-146-200) into Helsinki. Travel back to Alaska involves First Class Suite aboard GE powered 777-200 to Washington, DC, followed by first experiences with Alaska’s First Class trans-con over to Seattle. Finally, a flight aboard the 3000th 737 ever produced back up to Alaska.

VANCOUVER TO LAS VEGAS – via Plane, Train, Bus, Boat and Newfoundland

Starting in Vancouver aboard an ancient ex-Canadian Airlines 767-300, the journey continues across Canada via Toronto and Halifax and on to St. Johns, Newfoundland - the easternmost community in North America. Travel from St. Johns back to Montreal takes 51 hours and incorporates a bus across Newfoundland, an overnight ferry over to Nova Scotia and a First Class bedroom aboard ViaRail’s crack streamliner “The Ocean” for the twenty hour journey into Montreal. As if that weren’t enough, I then head out to the Montreal airport for Economy class travel aboard Continental down to Las Vegas.

SIX DAYS OF WINING AND DINING ABOVE AMERICA AND CANADA

Seventeen flights on five airlines all over the continent, including one with Mary Tyler Moore. Lots of First Class.

NOTES FROM THE OVERFED ~ What's Cookin' at AS & NW This Month

Weekend breaks from my job in Alaska to take advantage of really cheap Mileage runs down to Houston and one Airline Collectibles convention down in Los Angeles. Mostly First Class.

THE GREAT AUTUMN MILEAGE RUN OF 2002

The first of the big Autumn Mileage Runs ~ 34,880 miles around America on Northwest, Continental and Delta. Total cost to me for the airline tickets: $852.00. Total mileage accrued: 140,610 miles.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN ~ 2 weeks, 23 flights and 19790 miles around America and Alaska

Twenty three flights on six different airlines, including many dinner flights aboard Alaska Airlines First Class when the catering was so good that even other airlines talked about it!

SEATTLE TO HELSINKI AND BACK FOR ONLY $95.00

Back in November 2001, British Airways offered – either by design or accident – a $20.00 round trip fare between any of its western US gateways to any city in Europe. Here’s what how I discovered the fare and the trip that followed.

Further Ruminations on the BA World Traveler Plus Experience

A continuation of the above report

A WEEKEND JAUNT WITH NORTHWEST ~ DEN-LEX-DEN

A short Mileage Run taking the long way from Denver to Lexington. Lots of First Class upgrades and very nice service made this a memorable trip.

Further Thoughts on Coach Passengers Using The First Class Lavatories

What started out as my response to a debate at the Alaska Air Forum regarding whether Economy Class passengers should be allowed unfettered access to the First Class lavatory became fairly spicy with many weighing in their views.

DENVER TO SACRAMENTO ABOARD CALIFORNIA’S CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR

If you like riding trains, especially around the American West, you might like this report. I even get to stay in a mansion in Sacramento

ON THE ROAD AGAIN ~ 106,000 miles via plane, train, boat, bus, truck and thumb

106,000 miles, 110 pages and 65,918 words about traveling via plane, train, boat, bus, truck and thumb through America, Canada, Alaska, Australia, Finland, a music festival in Florida and a Red Sox game at Fenway Park in Boston.

FROM TUNDRA TO TROPICS ~ FAI - MIA in First Class Aboard Alaska Airlines

A weekend with nothing to do in Alaska turned into a round trip First Class jaunt down to the Florida tropics courtesy of a bump ticket from Alaska Airlines.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN ~ In Pursuit of Bonus Miles

Back in Autumn of 2003, Alaska Air Group offered its Mileage Plan members a chance to earn 100,000 free miles. The catch? You had to fly at least thirty-five separate flights between October and the end of November. I did that and then some. Lots of flights aboard smaller propeller and regional jets.

FAIRBANKS TO KALGOORLIE - THE LONG WAY

Describes my First Class trip from Alaska to Australia via Los Angeles, London and Singapore, including a bump from British Airways’ flight out of LAX that resulted in my getting to sample American’s First Class Flagship Suites aboard it’s new 777-200 between Los Angeles and London. From Melbourne, the journey continues across to Perth aboard a Qantas A330-200, followed by a rail journey across the Western Australian hills and desert to the gold mining center of Kalgoorlie.

FROM TASMANIA TO SOUTH AFRICA – In A Roundabout Way

Description of an eleven day journey that began with First Class travel from Tasmania back to Alaska via Singapore, London and Los Angeles, then on to San Francisco and New York-JFK for a turnaround into a First Class seat aboard Cathay Pacific’s 747-400 back across the continent to Vancouver. A flight on Canadian low fare success West Jet into Edmonton is followed by a First Class rail journey aboard ViaRail’s famous “Canadian” back across the Canadian Rockies to Vancouver. Six hours later I’m back in Seat 2A aboard Cathay’s long range A340-300 for the thirteen hour flight across the Pacific to Hong Kong, connecting to another thirteen hour flight across south Asia and the Indian Ocean to South Africa. A flight aboard Kululu Air down to Durban is followed by First Class journeys aboard the South African Railways’ “Trans Natal” back up to Jo’Berg and the “Alcoa” down to Port Elizabeth.

WINDHOEK TO SWAKOPMUND ABOARD THE DESERT EXPRESS ~ Luxury Train Travel Across Namibia

A First Class all suite luxury train trip from the Namibian capitol city of Windhoek across the Namib Desert to the Atlantic coast town of Swakopmund.

FROM NAMIBIA TO NEVADA

Travel from Namibia by train down through South Africa where I fly my first ever A340-600 with SAA before returning to Cathay Pacific’s First Class from Jo’Berg back to New York via Hong Kong and Vancouver. A pair of American DC-9-80s deliver me to Nevada.

DENVER TO ALASKA ROUNDTRIP via SO, TI, DL, AA, AS, WC, CP, PW and UA

Memories from a 1979 trip involving a lot of airlines, aircraft and service standards that no longer exist today.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - 108,000 Miles Around America on Planes, Trains and Automobiles

A bunch or Mileage Runs with Northwest, Alaska, Horizon, and American wrapped around a drive from Alaska down to Montana, a First Class rail journey aboard Amtrak’s Coast Starlight and a music festival in Florida.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - Three Weeks of Mileage Running around America

Life aboard American, Alaska, Northwest and Continental Airlines during a mega-Mileage Run back and forth between Denver and Florida

FROM LARAMIE TO LONDON (and on to Melbourne) ~ First Class on AS & BA

Spur of the moment travel in First Class luxury aboard British Airways 747s from the US to Australia via London and Singapore.

MORE CHAMPAGNE, SIR? ~ Life and times in BA's First Class Between Australia and California

This trip starts in Perth with a flight aboard Virgin Atlantic to Melbourne. The journey continues from Seat 2A aboard British Airways from Melbourne to London to San Francisco.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: From the Top of North America to the Bottom of South America

Travel from Alaska all the way down to the very tip of South America via First and Business Class with Alaska and LAN Chile. Also included are accounts of luxury bus travel around Argentina along with a four day ferry trip down through Chile’s Inside Passage.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: From the Bottom of South America to the Top of Australia

Continuing from Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, I fly fly a variety of LAN Chile aircraft (Business Class) through six South American cities back to Miami. On to Alaska for a change of clothing, then down to Vancouver Island for a 24-hour ferry trip up to Prince Rupert, BC. ViaRail's "Skeena" provides the transport over to Prince George, AC to YVR, then First Class aboard Cathay Pacific daytime flights to Hong Kong and Sydney. Virgin Blue to Adelaide is followed by a ride on the world's only South to north transcontinental train trip aboard "The Ghan" up to Darwin.

FIRST CLASS TRAVEL FROM AUSTRALIA TO AMERICA (via HONG KONG)

First Class on Cathay Pacific ~ twenty one hours of life in the lap of luxury.

FROM FLORIDA TO ALASKA via Planes, Trains, Cars, Ferries and Churchill, Manitoba

The title pretty much says it all. Included are roundtrip travel on ViaRail's train from Winnipeg to Churchill and three days "driving" the Alaska Marine Highway between Prince Rupert, BC and Skagway, Alaska

British Airways First Class Inflight Dining – The Trip Report

Descriptive account of First Class travel between Phoenix and Melbourne, Australia on British Airways. This means travel via London and Singapore. Lots of pictures of fine BA inflight cuisine.

sftrvlr

Another spectacular report! With all the details so many of us relish. Like you, I take full advantage when I'm lucky enough to travel in first class. I've finally managed to follow in your footsteps and book my first FIRST on Cathay in May. Llooking forward to comparing it with Singapore Airlines. And JAL on the return. Another carrier I've never traveled on. I certainly hope you were only joking about this being the last first class report on British Airways. I for one never tire of reading anything you choose to write here.

Keep up the good work, and much Aloha.

Vaclav

Thanks for the special treat Seat 2A!
I printed your report to read at home after a very busy day in the office.
While enjoying every sentence, I was sipping Australian shiraz and listened to jazz on the radio. In my cute little appartemnt, it felt almost like in BA First - almost in my imagination.

olafman

Seat 2A,

Nice job on the report! You definitely qualify for "slightly crazy"!

I'm my class, we happened to be doing an acitivity which involved looking at airline schedules.

So plotted your itinerary on Great Circle Mapper and we talked about your "schedules". They enjoyed it very much. Then I showed the the pictures you took. They loved the pictures of the food.

Then I showed them my trip report on flying Concorde in Mar. 03.

Then we got back to work.

Nice job on the report!

under the clocks

Baba Ganoush is a paste made of roast or grilled eggplant and tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds. This dish is known as mutabbal in the Levant. Traditionally, the eggplant is first roasted in an oven for approximately 45 minutes. The softened flesh is scooped out, squeezed to remove excess water, and is then pureed with the tahini. There are many variants of the recipe, especially the seasoning. Possible seasonings include garlic, lemon juice, ground cumin, salt, mint, and parsley. When served on a plate or bowl, it is traditional to drizzle the top with olive oil.

This is a healthy snack that can be eaten in a variety of ways, including as a dip with whole wheat bread or crackers, spread on pita, or added to other dishes. It is usually of an earthy light brown color.