AA F LHR-LAX (and onto SFO)
Sep 14, 2006, 2:04 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: BA
Posts: 3,890
AA F LHR-LAX (and onto SFO)
Hi All,
I'm back from my trip to the US which commenced on Sunday 3rd Sept using the AA Expedia F Fare Error deal from LHR-LAX-SFO on the AA137 and then AA438.
My father gave me a lift to Heathrow in the morning, arriving at T3 about 08.30 for an 11.25 departure. I proceeded to AA's Park Avenue (dedicated F/J curbside check-in building) which was completely empty of passengers and contained three very bored agents, who seemed delighted to see me! She checked me in for both flights and then just before handing me both boarding cards asked me if I'd used miles to upgrade the ticket or if I'd purchased F all along. I told her the latter and she gave me the BPs. I believe that fare code 'A' is also used for upgraded tickets, and if this is the case she would have written 'A Fare' on my BP.
Anyway, I then went into the terminal and upstairs and off to fast-track security (via Travelex to collect my pre-ordered $$). Well, if ever I've been grateful to have fast track it was then... the normal queue was HUUUGE! Fast track queue was empty
After security, I signed up for IRIS, which as a British citizen allows me to come back into the UK with a quick scan of my eyes rather than queuing in the EU line and showing my passport. I then headed off to the Virgin Clubhouse lounge for a pre-arranged private VIP tour. Well, what can I say? apart from that it is simply stunning with jacuzzi, hairdresser, outside rooftop garden, full restaurant, pool table, saunas. It is easily the best lounge at Heathrow (all terminals).
It was now 09.20 (ish) and I headed across to Lounge area A and specifically the Cathay Pacific lounge which is located on the first floor reached using the lift in between 47 and 49 on page 4 of THIS map - NB - it is very clearly signposted.
As I have no oneWorld status I was unsure whether I would be allowed into the CX F lounge, but upon arrival my AA boarding pass was swiped by the lounge goddess (
) and I was graciously invited to turn right into the First Class section, which was completely empty! There were a number of PCs available for use, or for those with laptops wireless was available at a charge, but ethernet cables could be borrowed free of charge from reception and then connected to the free wired broadband service. From a food/drink point of view, there was dim sum, cereals, fresh fruit, and snacks as well as juices, hot drinks, sodas and a LOT of alcohol - which I did not touch at 9.30 in the morning!! After playing about on the internet for a bit, I took the opportunity to have a shower in one of the bathroom units. These are located just inside the CX business lounge, which to be honest seemed pretty similar to the F lounge, though presumably it gets busier. The shower was LOVELY, seriously high pressure and HOT HOT HOT water! The only problem was there was no air conditioning in the room and after drying and putting my clothes back on, I felt somewhat hot and sweaty 
Anyway, it was now about 10.30 and I left the CX lounge to head over towards the AA Lounge(s). I had a quick look in duty free, but given that I couldn't take any liquids onboard, this rules out alcohol and eau de toilette, so I didn't stay in the shopping complex long. Next stop was the AA Flagship lounge, where a lovely lady welcomed me in to a very American-decorated small quite busy lounge. There were however windows of the gates and taxiing area (a big plus over the CX lounge which didn't have any windows let alone any views). Food and drink selection was pretty similar compared to the CX lounge, obviously no dim-sum but a few extra cakes. The only television was located inside the smoking section
.
After 20 minutes or so, I made the short walk to the Admirals Club where the lounge agent invited me to turn around and go to the Flagship lounge! I explained I wanted to check out this lounge and she happily allowed me in. This Admirals Club is huge, split by many many corridors. There was a distinct lack of food apart from snacks and a mediocre drinks selection.
It was now 11.00ish and I started to head over towards gate 13. This is quite some distance from the lounges and main terminal area, but luckily all of the moving walkways were working and this made the walk considerably faster. When I got to the gate I was selected for additional security checks. This really pi**ed me off. Not the fact that I got selected and had to queue, but the fact that only SOME and NOT ALL were being extra checked. What does partial selection achieve? It should be all or none in my opinion :@
I made it onto the plane at 11.20 and considering there were still at least 10 in the security queue behind me, it was quite clear we wouldn't be departing on time.
I was welcomed onto the plane, but not shown to my seat 2J (seatmap). On the desk next to my seat were already a customs form, a menu and an AAtractions FIRST Personal Video Library card. Here were the films available solely to F passengers:
16 Blocks*
Hoot
The Benchwarmers
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
The Blue Butterfly
An Inconvenient Truth
On A Clear Day
Just my Luck*
The Great New Wonderful
Keeping Up With the Steins*
Kinky Boots
Take the Lead
Nacho Libre
Things to do Before You're 30
Poseidon
V for Vendetta
Shadows in the Sun
The Whole Shebang
Story of an African Farm
X-Men: The Last Stand
* = film I watched
After sitting down, my jacket was taken by the LOVELY middle-aged female purser and I was offered OJ/Champagne/Water to which I took OJ. She then came back and confirmed that I had a Kosher meal reserved. I explained to her that I am not actually strictly kosher, I just don't eat non-kosher meat and I asked her if I could have the normal AA hors d'oeuvres, starter and dessert and just have the Kosher main meal bit, to which she was more than happy to agree to ^^
Here's the menu (* = what I ate/drank):
Champagne:
Pommery Brut*
White Wine:
Laroche Chablis Premier Cru
Wairau River Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
Red Wine:
Chateau Batailley
Penfolds Koonunga Hill Australian Shiraz
Sherry:
Emilio Lustau
Port:
Graham's Vintage
To Start:
Warm Mixed Nuts*
or
Marinated Cheese Antipasto
Appetizer:
Smoked Salmon* and Citrus Marinate Shrimp
with Red Onion and Sour Cream*
garnished with Lemon Wedges*
and served with Toast Points*
The Salad Cart:
Fresh Seasonal Greens* offered with Honey Dijon Dressing or Castello Monte Vibiano Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
Sliced Breast of Smoked Duck
Your Choice of Vegetables including Artichoke Quarters, Red Bell Peppers*, Kalamata Olives and Cucumbers*
Bread Basket:
Assorted Gourmet Breads offered with a choice of Butter or Castello Monte Vibiano Olive Oil
Entrees:
Ginger Soy Salmon
Fillet of Beef
Roasted Chicken
Cappelletti
Kosher Meal Salmon with Rice*
Dessert:
Port-Salut and Chevre Cheese served with Dried Cherries, Candied Walnuts and selected Crackers.
Ice Cream Sundae* (Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream with selection of toppings)
Passion Fruit Orange Tart
To Finish:
Assorted Lindt Chocolates*
Mid-Flight Tea Service:
Assorted Tea Sandwiches, Scones & Fruit*
Afternoon Meal:
Uno's Pizza
Beef Fillet Sandwich
Dessert Cart:
Fresh Fruit or Cookies*, freshly baked on board
Pre-Arrival Beverage:
Chilled Sparkling Water with Fruit Garnish* (aka fizzy water with a lemon)
The service on board was mixed. The purser was excellent, but a couple of the other attendants were a bit moody :s
The seat was excellent - here is a video about the flagship suite. It swivels into 3 positions, 0 degrees for taxi, takeoff and landing, 15 degrees for eating, sleeping, relaxing etc, and 90 degrees facing the window, allowing you to work with the additional desk located next to the powerpoint. The feature I particularly liked about the seat is how the armrests go down. This has two big advantages: when the seat is flat in bed format, it really increases the width of your personal space and also in particular when dining, you can simply lower the armrest and slide out of the seat, without having to move the table and your whole meal, just to go to the toilet. An excellent feature ^^
All in all I was very impressed with this flight, which despite leaving late arrived on time. We de-boarded out of gate 2L, and all the business pax were held back until all the F passengers had left the aircraft ^. I made it to the empty immigration hall as one of the first passengers off the plane, and after having my fingerprints and photo taken, and to my delight, my two priority-tagged bags were amongst the first few off the conveyor belt! I went through customs and immediately gave my checked bags back to AA for the short flight up to SFO. I went back through TSA security which was empty (the Sunday of Labor Day weekend), and headed to the Admirals Club where the receptionist gave me a white swipe card for access to the Flagship Lounge. This was a very bright and airy lounge with excellent views over some of the AA gates and the tarmac. I had another shower in this lounge to freshen up and helped myself to some salad, fruit and cake before heading off for the uneventful short hop to SFO.
Well done AA. This was a great experience, and for £460 one-way in F half way around the world, is of course simply unbelievable value!
Thanks for reading, and I'd be grateful for comments or questions....
I'm back from my trip to the US which commenced on Sunday 3rd Sept using the AA Expedia F Fare Error deal from LHR-LAX-SFO on the AA137 and then AA438.
My father gave me a lift to Heathrow in the morning, arriving at T3 about 08.30 for an 11.25 departure. I proceeded to AA's Park Avenue (dedicated F/J curbside check-in building) which was completely empty of passengers and contained three very bored agents, who seemed delighted to see me! She checked me in for both flights and then just before handing me both boarding cards asked me if I'd used miles to upgrade the ticket or if I'd purchased F all along. I told her the latter and she gave me the BPs. I believe that fare code 'A' is also used for upgraded tickets, and if this is the case she would have written 'A Fare' on my BP.
Anyway, I then went into the terminal and upstairs and off to fast-track security (via Travelex to collect my pre-ordered $$). Well, if ever I've been grateful to have fast track it was then... the normal queue was HUUUGE! Fast track queue was empty
After security, I signed up for IRIS, which as a British citizen allows me to come back into the UK with a quick scan of my eyes rather than queuing in the EU line and showing my passport. I then headed off to the Virgin Clubhouse lounge for a pre-arranged private VIP tour. Well, what can I say? apart from that it is simply stunning with jacuzzi, hairdresser, outside rooftop garden, full restaurant, pool table, saunas. It is easily the best lounge at Heathrow (all terminals).
It was now 09.20 (ish) and I headed across to Lounge area A and specifically the Cathay Pacific lounge which is located on the first floor reached using the lift in between 47 and 49 on page 4 of THIS map - NB - it is very clearly signposted.
As I have no oneWorld status I was unsure whether I would be allowed into the CX F lounge, but upon arrival my AA boarding pass was swiped by the lounge goddess (
) and I was graciously invited to turn right into the First Class section, which was completely empty! There were a number of PCs available for use, or for those with laptops wireless was available at a charge, but ethernet cables could be borrowed free of charge from reception and then connected to the free wired broadband service. From a food/drink point of view, there was dim sum, cereals, fresh fruit, and snacks as well as juices, hot drinks, sodas and a LOT of alcohol - which I did not touch at 9.30 in the morning!! After playing about on the internet for a bit, I took the opportunity to have a shower in one of the bathroom units. These are located just inside the CX business lounge, which to be honest seemed pretty similar to the F lounge, though presumably it gets busier. The shower was LOVELY, seriously high pressure and HOT HOT HOT water! The only problem was there was no air conditioning in the room and after drying and putting my clothes back on, I felt somewhat hot and sweaty Anyway, it was now about 10.30 and I left the CX lounge to head over towards the AA Lounge(s). I had a quick look in duty free, but given that I couldn't take any liquids onboard, this rules out alcohol and eau de toilette, so I didn't stay in the shopping complex long. Next stop was the AA Flagship lounge, where a lovely lady welcomed me in to a very American-decorated small quite busy lounge. There were however windows of the gates and taxiing area (a big plus over the CX lounge which didn't have any windows let alone any views). Food and drink selection was pretty similar compared to the CX lounge, obviously no dim-sum but a few extra cakes. The only television was located inside the smoking section
.After 20 minutes or so, I made the short walk to the Admirals Club where the lounge agent invited me to turn around and go to the Flagship lounge!
I explained I wanted to check out this lounge and she happily allowed me in. This Admirals Club is huge, split by many many corridors. There was a distinct lack of food apart from snacks and a mediocre drinks selection.It was now 11.00ish and I started to head over towards gate 13. This is quite some distance from the lounges and main terminal area, but luckily all of the moving walkways were working and this made the walk considerably faster. When I got to the gate I was selected for additional security checks. This really pi**ed me off. Not the fact that I got selected and had to queue, but the fact that only SOME and NOT ALL were being extra checked. What does partial selection achieve? It should be all or none in my opinion :@
I made it onto the plane at 11.20 and considering there were still at least 10 in the security queue behind me, it was quite clear we wouldn't be departing on time
.I was welcomed onto the plane, but not shown to my seat 2J (seatmap). On the desk next to my seat were already a customs form, a menu and an AAtractions FIRST Personal Video Library card. Here were the films available solely to F passengers:
16 Blocks*
Hoot
The Benchwarmers
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
The Blue Butterfly
An Inconvenient Truth
On A Clear Day
Just my Luck*
The Great New Wonderful
Keeping Up With the Steins*
Kinky Boots
Take the Lead
Nacho Libre
Things to do Before You're 30
Poseidon
V for Vendetta
Shadows in the Sun
The Whole Shebang
Story of an African Farm
X-Men: The Last Stand
* = film I watched
After sitting down, my jacket was taken by the LOVELY middle-aged female purser and I was offered OJ/Champagne/Water to which I took OJ. She then came back and confirmed that I had a Kosher meal reserved. I explained to her that I am not actually strictly kosher, I just don't eat non-kosher meat and I asked her if I could have the normal AA hors d'oeuvres, starter and dessert and just have the Kosher main meal bit, to which she was more than happy to agree to ^^
Here's the menu (* = what I ate/drank):
Champagne:
Pommery Brut*
White Wine:
Laroche Chablis Premier Cru
Wairau River Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
Red Wine:
Chateau Batailley
Penfolds Koonunga Hill Australian Shiraz
Sherry:
Emilio Lustau
Port:
Graham's Vintage
To Start:
Warm Mixed Nuts*
or
Marinated Cheese Antipasto
Appetizer:
Smoked Salmon* and Citrus Marinate Shrimp
with Red Onion and Sour Cream*
garnished with Lemon Wedges*
and served with Toast Points*
The Salad Cart:
Fresh Seasonal Greens* offered with Honey Dijon Dressing or Castello Monte Vibiano Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
Sliced Breast of Smoked Duck
Your Choice of Vegetables including Artichoke Quarters, Red Bell Peppers*, Kalamata Olives and Cucumbers*
Bread Basket:
Assorted Gourmet Breads offered with a choice of Butter or Castello Monte Vibiano Olive Oil
Entrees:
Ginger Soy Salmon
Fillet of Beef
Roasted Chicken
Cappelletti
Kosher Meal Salmon with Rice*
Dessert:
Port-Salut and Chevre Cheese served with Dried Cherries, Candied Walnuts and selected Crackers.
Ice Cream Sundae*
(Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream with selection of toppings)Passion Fruit Orange Tart
To Finish:
Assorted Lindt Chocolates*
Mid-Flight Tea Service:
Assorted Tea Sandwiches, Scones & Fruit*
Afternoon Meal:
Uno's Pizza
Beef Fillet Sandwich
Dessert Cart:
Fresh Fruit or Cookies*, freshly baked on board
Pre-Arrival Beverage:
Chilled Sparkling Water with Fruit Garnish* (aka fizzy water with a lemon
)The service on board was mixed. The purser was excellent, but a couple of the other attendants were a bit moody :s
The seat was excellent - here is a video about the flagship suite. It swivels into 3 positions, 0 degrees for taxi, takeoff and landing, 15 degrees for eating, sleeping, relaxing etc, and 90 degrees facing the window, allowing you to work with the additional desk located next to the powerpoint. The feature I particularly liked about the seat is how the armrests go down. This has two big advantages: when the seat is flat in bed format, it really increases the width of your personal space and also in particular when dining, you can simply lower the armrest and slide out of the seat, without having to move the table and your whole meal, just to go to the toilet. An excellent feature ^^
All in all I was very impressed with this flight, which despite leaving late arrived on time. We de-boarded out of gate 2L, and all the business pax were held back until all the F passengers had left the aircraft ^. I made it to the empty immigration hall as one of the first passengers off the plane, and after having my fingerprints and photo taken, and to my delight, my two priority-tagged bags were amongst the first few off the conveyor belt! I went through customs and immediately gave my checked bags back to AA for the short flight up to SFO. I went back through TSA security which was empty (the Sunday of Labor Day weekend), and headed to the Admirals Club where the receptionist gave me a white swipe card for access to the Flagship Lounge. This was a very bright and airy lounge with excellent views over some of the AA gates and the tarmac. I had another shower in this lounge to freshen up and helped myself to some salad, fruit and cake before heading off for the uneventful short hop to SFO.
Well done AA. This was a great experience, and for £460 one-way in F half way around the world, is of course simply unbelievable value!
Thanks for reading, and I'd be grateful for comments or questions....
Last edited by More Champagne Sir?; Sep 15, 2006 at 3:37 pm Reason: spelling/grammar
Sep 14, 2006, 2:41 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 185
Well done on an excellent and very thorough trip report! I'm travelling LHR-MIA tomorrow and it's great to know what to expect 
Here's hoping my assumption that it's a flagship suite on that flight is correct.
I'll definitely be using the Park Avenue check-in and have already decided on what film to watch thanks to you!
Here's hoping my assumption that it's a flagship suite on that flight is correct.I'll definitely be using the Park Avenue check-in and have already decided on what film to watch thanks to you!
Sep 14, 2006, 4:40 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,126
Great trip report, MCS. Looking forward to my trip to JFK on Saturday even more now! I think i'll use the opportunity to travel in shorts and sandals, not often that there's nowhere further forward to go...
Sep 14, 2006, 10:29 pm
#7
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: MEL/LAX
Programs: AAdv GLD(MM), QF LTS, UA MP_nada, HH Gld, SPG, GoldenCircle Jade
Posts: 4,472
Originally Posted by More Champagne Sir?
The only problem was there was no air conditioning in the room and after drying and putting my clothes back on, I felt somewhat hot and sweaty
Nice video - I hadn't seen that before. The beginning is sort of clever, but that scene of the 4 colleagues in the middle seats all eating and toasting champagne together was just too much
Nice report - glad you enjoyed the flight and for such a bargain price too!!
Sep 15, 2006, 9:39 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB Silver going for Gold
Posts: 21,808
I posted that video but thought Myspace deleted my account shortly after. Glad to see it's still there.
What's needed more is an effective ventilation system. The humidity's not extracted so the air becomes saturated with moisture. Maybe there was an effective ventilation system at one time but it's so clogged with dirt, grease and other unmentionables for lack of cleaning that it might as well not be there.
Originally Posted by alect
This is a pet peeve of mine - and it is the same with every single lounge shower I have taken in European airports - LHR (T1 and T4), FRA (FCT), ZRH (FCL). I just don't understant why there is no a/c in the showers as there is elsewhere in the lounge.
Last edited by YVR Cockroach; Sep 15, 2006 at 9:56 am
Sep 15, 2006, 1:45 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: BA
Posts: 3,890
Originally Posted by YVR Cockroach
I posted that video but thought Myspace deleted my account shortly after. Glad to see it's still there.
Regarding, the A/C in shower cubicles, I should add that in LAX there was full airconditioning with a control setting on the wall that could be changed between LOW/MED/HI. A definite ^^
EDITED TO ADD: just starting my report on SFO-JFK on UA p.s. in F....
EDITED AGAIN TO ADD: and here's the link to that SFO-JFK trip report: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=602302
Last edited by More Champagne Sir?; Sep 15, 2006 at 6:04 pm Reason: shamelessly advertising my next trip report!! ;)
Sep 15, 2006, 2:58 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Scotland
Programs: BA, BD, AF, LH, AA, EK, Hilton, ICHG, SPG
Posts: 1,500
Most enjoyable report, MCS?! Thanks for taking the time.
I followed the thread about this ... errm ... "offer" closely, but for various reasons didn't feel able to take the plunge myself
I followed the thread about this ... errm ... "offer" closely, but for various reasons didn't feel able to take the plunge myself
Sep 16, 2006, 1:09 am
#11
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,213
Great report MCS? ^
Your summary of the three LHR lounges will be very helpful for my upcoming AA F adventure. Thanks for including that.
Delighted to hear you enjoyed the experience.
Your summary of the three LHR lounges will be very helpful for my upcoming AA F adventure. Thanks for including that.
Delighted to hear you enjoyed the experience.
Sep 16, 2006, 6:08 am
#12
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Glasgow Scotland
Programs: Mucci Diamond Hairbrush.
Posts: 893
Originally Posted by Prospero
Great report MCS? ^
Your summary of the three LHR lounges will be very helpful for my upcoming AA F adventure. Thanks for including that.
Delighted to hear you enjoyed the experience.
Your summary of the three LHR lounges will be very helpful for my upcoming AA F adventure. Thanks for including that.
Delighted to hear you enjoyed the experience.
Great tr. Is the offer still available?
Sep 16, 2006, 8:25 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: AA 2MM - PLT, BA GGL, SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,221
Originally Posted by braefoot
Great tr. Is the offer still available?
Nice report MoreChampagneSirDon'tForgetTheQuestionMark
Those F suite seats on AA are very uncomfortable when in the locked position for take off and landing. Felt like I had a rod shoved up my back
Sep 16, 2006, 11:39 am
#14
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,213
In summary, Expedia loaded these one way fares from London to the US. Simply put, the Expedia fare reflected the standard published fare but with a decimal point shift one notch to the left. It presented an ideal opportunity to those able and willing to take a punt and try out AA's international first class product. Less attractive to those needed certainty that the fare would be honoured for their essential travel needs. Also, the glitch only effected one way fares which made it slightly less useable had it been a RT offer. These fares were available for almost 3 full days before being corrected, initially by AA who locked out their entire A fare inventory.
And one very welcome side effect of this one way deal I have since discovered, is that my transatlantic bookings for next year have switched from ex UK to ex US. As result of the favourable currency exchange rates and competitive fare pricing for travel originating in North America, the saving generated from the return booking has already offset the cost of the AA one way fare.
And one very welcome side effect of this one way deal I have since discovered, is that my transatlantic bookings for next year have switched from ex UK to ex US. As result of the favourable currency exchange rates and competitive fare pricing for travel originating in North America, the saving generated from the return booking has already offset the cost of the AA one way fare.
Sep 16, 2006, 12:16 pm
#15
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: LHR
Programs: BA Gold, TG Gold, HHonors Diamond, SPG Plat
Posts: 8,665
Wow! 3 different airlines lounges in one go at LHR! Is that a record?
Question: From the video, it looks like your head stick out into the aisle when the seat is in this lie flat position. Is this correct ?
If so, that would wake me up everytime someone walked past
Question: From the video, it looks like your head stick out into the aisle when the seat is in this lie flat position. Is this correct ?
If so, that would wake me up everytime someone walked past