SFO-SYD-LAX in UA first in 35 hours!!
Aug 5, 2007, 9:13 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Agoura Hills, CA USA
Posts: 2,662
SFO-SYD-LAX in UA first in 35 hours!!
Preamble
As a long time FT I also was able to get the special UA fare to AKL.. I originally was to go to AKL for a couple of days... As you will see this was not to be..
LAX-SFO
I had to get up to SFO for the transpacific flight to SYD as the LAX was unavailable. I was very lucky as flight 1170 was actually on time. There is really nothing to say about the coach trip to the bay area except it took only 50 minutes.. Drink service was provided.. no nuts. Very pleasant crew and a very full flight. The only unforgettable part of the flight was the gentelman sitting next to me who was on his way to SIN on SQ. I was quite amazed that there was quite an argument at the check in desk because of the lack of first class seats available on this flight. I thought to myself....its such a short flight.. who cares...
SFO-SYD
Upon arrival in SFO in terminal 3 I had to walk over to the G concourse. This was a bit of a schlep... However once I arrived I had to once again pass through security which was quite short. After security the UA Red Carpet Club was located to the immediate right... The UA International lounge was however located in a different area... between gates 96 and 98. I was able to find the entrance easily. For those of you who have never been here it was truly extraordinary. I was amazed at the opulence of this haven.. The lounge dragons were quite nice ... And there were SHOWERS... Even at the LAX UA International first class lounge there were NO showers.. As one descends the stairs.. one sees the magnificent asian decorations and great cold buffet.. including Pomerry Champagne, Clos du Bois wine, Cold Cuts, Breads, Sushi, turkey wraps, Smoked salmon, cheeses and pastries.. There were only three other people in the lounge.. The LH flight to Munich was leaving shortly and the other two people were on that flight... Incidentally prior to taking a shower one is given a special UA shower kit with all shampoo, soap, colognes, tooth brush and razor.. As my flight was called I was really sorry to see the time in the SFO lounge come to an end... and on to gate 92 where UA SFO-SYD was to board...
UA 863 SFO-SYD First Class Seat 2J
First class and biz were completely filled. The flight left at 11 PM. Most everyone in the cabin had pre departure champagne which was a non descript kind of tasteless sparking wine.. However menus were already on our first class suite sitting on the seats themselves... Here is the transcript...
To BEGIN
Soup
Roasted tomato and red pepper bisque
Salad
Fresh seasonal greens with hot pan-seared herbed salmon with chocie of creamy Italian or Asian seame ginger dressing
Main Course
Apricot curry braised lamb medallion with Israeli couscous and spicy roasted eggplant
Roasted vegatble pot pie with sweet red wine deduction sauce
Pan Seared fliet mignon with bacon crumbled blue cheese and greee peppercorn sauce with roasted fingerling potatoes and sauteed summer squash medley
Potato-crusted halibut with pomodoro sauce with milanese saffron risotto and steamed asparagus
Dessert
Ice cream with sundae toppings
Cheese selection of Manchego, Rosenborg, Noble Blue, Montrachet
Fresh Strawberries with brown sugar sour cream dip
Midflight snack
Sandwiches ( turkey on baguettes ), Lays baked chips, Ghirardelli chocolate and granola
Prior to Arrival
Sun-dried tomato and basil omelette with red pepper sauce OR
Fresh seaonsal fruit plate
Champagne
Pommery Grand Gru 1998
White Wine
Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 2004 Montmains Chardonnay
Selbach-Oster Riesling Kabinett Wehlener Sonnenuhr 2004
Beringe Chardonnay 2004 Napa Valley
Firestone Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Santa Ynez
Red Wine
Chateau Cos Labory 2002 Saint Estepeh Medoc
Kunde Estate Merlot 2003
Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz-Mourvedre 2004 South Australia
The salad was excellent as was the Roasted Vegetable entree... The Pommery was quite good ( no comparison to the Krug on SQ of cours ) but about 6 out of the 12 passengers in first also had the champagne as their drink of choice.. The IFE was as described presiously quite outdated. The 6 inch screen was hard to see. I did however enjoy my personal selection of THE GOOD GERMAN with George Clooney and Cate Blanchett on the Personal Video Screen. The use of 30,000 UA miles to upgrade from C to F was really worth it when it came to sleep as the flat bed was wonderul ... We arrive at the SYD airport at 6 AM local time.. My original plan was to transfer to NZ flight 102 to go to AKL.. Here is where the trip gets REALLY interesting...
PART II-- THE INSANE PORTION
I arrived at SYD and went through the INternational transfer portion where I went to the UA RED CARPET CLUB.. As I checked in I, for some reason decided that it would be really great to get back to LAX on a Saturday instead of a Sunday so that I could really enjoy the rest of the weekend in California before work on Monday. Although my trip was routed back to SFO, I inquired if there was a NF ( upgraded first seat from Biz to first ) on flight 840. Here is where the story gets interesting ... As many of you FT know these UA tickets are non changable. However it never hurts to ask.. I thought to myself.. Would this be some sort of record to fly US-AUSTRALIA-US without an overnight stay.. After all doesnt this seem a crazy thing that any good FTer would do? Well after asking the lounge people if this was possible they actually said " Sure.. there is one NF seat left on UA 840 " and they rerouted me for no charge and put me in seat 2J!! I was really not that tired as I had slept fairly well on the leg coming down the Australia.. so I called my wife in NY who agreed it was crazy but what the heck you only live once!! Here I was in SYD and I decided since I have two upcoming trips to OZ in the near future why not try and do this little personal feat?
I then spent the next few hours in the UA first class lounge in SYD. Food offerings were sandwiches, fruits, CORDON NEGRO CHAMPAGNE, and some very indistinct wines. There is NO free internet access however. I was also able to cancel my hotel in AKL without penalty through SPG. This was also excellent.. So after a shower and a brief walk through the SYD airport I was able to go to gate 63 for the 1:45 PM departure to LAX. In total I was in SYDNEY for 5 hours!!
UA 840 SYD-LAX
The first class section was completely full. I actually was on the same plane that had transported me from SFO just a few hours earlier. I again was able to sit in seat 2J. As a side note the UA first class suites are really showing their age...and the seats were not cleaned very well at the SYD airport. Thank goodness that UA is coming out with new first class seats.. Of course the movie selection was the same but the menu was quite different. Here is the transcript...
To Begin
A sampling of hot appetizers
Tandoori Lamb Skewer and spiced seafood filo parcel with manto chitney and curried mayonnaise
Roasted tomato Capsicum soup
Salad
Fresh seasonal greens
Creamy herb or beetroot vinaigrette
Main Course
Pan-seared filet mignon with siitake mushroom cream sauce
Macadamia nut crusted chicken with mango lime sauce
Filet of barramundi with red currant and native pepper glaze
Goat cheese and asparagus filled pasta with mushrooms
Dessert
To complete your dining experience:
Ice cream with sundae toppings
Cheese selection: True Blue, Heritage Brie, Kapiti Cheddar
Fresh seasonal fruit with passion fruit coulis and yogurt
Midflight Snack
A variety of fruit, sandwiches and assorted treats
Prior to Arrival
Your selected entree will be served with breakfast breads, butter and fruit preserves
Chicken and mushroom crepe
Lyonnaise potatoes, bake roma tomato half
or
Fresh seasonal fruit plate wih creamy yogurt
WINE and CHAMPAGNE exactly as inbound flight..
I was able to have a very relaxing flight back to LAX. The movie selection was quite boring. The food was quite excellent. The tandoori Lamb Skewer was actually a kebab which was wonderful with the mango chutney. The seafood parcel was light and very tasty. I had the barramundi which was excellent. Many of the other passengers had the beef and I heard one person say it was fantastic. For dessert most people had the ice cream... I had the cheese . The Pommery was free flowing and mysel and another two passengers finished two bottles of the bubbly. The fliying time to LAX was 12 hours and 35 minutes. Believe it or not I was not tired at all, and because of the nice flat beds I was able to get a bit of sleep ( 7 hours to be exact ) which was quite restful.
I am now back in LA. I still cannot believe that I did this crazy short trip... Only you FT'ers would truly understand. Have a great SUNDAY...
As a long time FT I also was able to get the special UA fare to AKL.. I originally was to go to AKL for a couple of days... As you will see this was not to be..
LAX-SFO
I had to get up to SFO for the transpacific flight to SYD as the LAX was unavailable. I was very lucky as flight 1170 was actually on time. There is really nothing to say about the coach trip to the bay area except it took only 50 minutes.. Drink service was provided.. no nuts. Very pleasant crew and a very full flight. The only unforgettable part of the flight was the gentelman sitting next to me who was on his way to SIN on SQ. I was quite amazed that there was quite an argument at the check in desk because of the lack of first class seats available on this flight. I thought to myself....its such a short flight.. who cares...
SFO-SYD
Upon arrival in SFO in terminal 3 I had to walk over to the G concourse. This was a bit of a schlep... However once I arrived I had to once again pass through security which was quite short. After security the UA Red Carpet Club was located to the immediate right... The UA International lounge was however located in a different area... between gates 96 and 98. I was able to find the entrance easily. For those of you who have never been here it was truly extraordinary. I was amazed at the opulence of this haven.. The lounge dragons were quite nice ... And there were SHOWERS... Even at the LAX UA International first class lounge there were NO showers.. As one descends the stairs.. one sees the magnificent asian decorations and great cold buffet.. including Pomerry Champagne, Clos du Bois wine, Cold Cuts, Breads, Sushi, turkey wraps, Smoked salmon, cheeses and pastries.. There were only three other people in the lounge.. The LH flight to Munich was leaving shortly and the other two people were on that flight... Incidentally prior to taking a shower one is given a special UA shower kit with all shampoo, soap, colognes, tooth brush and razor.. As my flight was called I was really sorry to see the time in the SFO lounge come to an end... and on to gate 92 where UA SFO-SYD was to board...
UA 863 SFO-SYD First Class Seat 2J
First class and biz were completely filled. The flight left at 11 PM. Most everyone in the cabin had pre departure champagne which was a non descript kind of tasteless sparking wine.. However menus were already on our first class suite sitting on the seats themselves... Here is the transcript...
To BEGIN
Soup
Roasted tomato and red pepper bisque
Salad
Fresh seasonal greens with hot pan-seared herbed salmon with chocie of creamy Italian or Asian seame ginger dressing
Main Course
Apricot curry braised lamb medallion with Israeli couscous and spicy roasted eggplant
Roasted vegatble pot pie with sweet red wine deduction sauce
Pan Seared fliet mignon with bacon crumbled blue cheese and greee peppercorn sauce with roasted fingerling potatoes and sauteed summer squash medley
Potato-crusted halibut with pomodoro sauce with milanese saffron risotto and steamed asparagus
Dessert
Ice cream with sundae toppings
Cheese selection of Manchego, Rosenborg, Noble Blue, Montrachet
Fresh Strawberries with brown sugar sour cream dip
Midflight snack
Sandwiches ( turkey on baguettes ), Lays baked chips, Ghirardelli chocolate and granola
Prior to Arrival
Sun-dried tomato and basil omelette with red pepper sauce OR
Fresh seaonsal fruit plate
Champagne
Pommery Grand Gru 1998
White Wine
Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 2004 Montmains Chardonnay
Selbach-Oster Riesling Kabinett Wehlener Sonnenuhr 2004
Beringe Chardonnay 2004 Napa Valley
Firestone Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Santa Ynez
Red Wine
Chateau Cos Labory 2002 Saint Estepeh Medoc
Kunde Estate Merlot 2003
Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz-Mourvedre 2004 South Australia
The salad was excellent as was the Roasted Vegetable entree... The Pommery was quite good ( no comparison to the Krug on SQ of cours ) but about 6 out of the 12 passengers in first also had the champagne as their drink of choice.. The IFE was as described presiously quite outdated. The 6 inch screen was hard to see. I did however enjoy my personal selection of THE GOOD GERMAN with George Clooney and Cate Blanchett on the Personal Video Screen. The use of 30,000 UA miles to upgrade from C to F was really worth it when it came to sleep as the flat bed was wonderul ... We arrive at the SYD airport at 6 AM local time.. My original plan was to transfer to NZ flight 102 to go to AKL.. Here is where the trip gets REALLY interesting...
PART II-- THE INSANE PORTION
I arrived at SYD and went through the INternational transfer portion where I went to the UA RED CARPET CLUB.. As I checked in I, for some reason decided that it would be really great to get back to LAX on a Saturday instead of a Sunday so that I could really enjoy the rest of the weekend in California before work on Monday. Although my trip was routed back to SFO, I inquired if there was a NF ( upgraded first seat from Biz to first ) on flight 840. Here is where the story gets interesting ... As many of you FT know these UA tickets are non changable. However it never hurts to ask.. I thought to myself.. Would this be some sort of record to fly US-AUSTRALIA-US without an overnight stay.. After all doesnt this seem a crazy thing that any good FTer would do? Well after asking the lounge people if this was possible they actually said " Sure.. there is one NF seat left on UA 840 " and they rerouted me for no charge and put me in seat 2J!! I was really not that tired as I had slept fairly well on the leg coming down the Australia.. so I called my wife in NY who agreed it was crazy but what the heck you only live once!! Here I was in SYD and I decided since I have two upcoming trips to OZ in the near future why not try and do this little personal feat?
I then spent the next few hours in the UA first class lounge in SYD. Food offerings were sandwiches, fruits, CORDON NEGRO CHAMPAGNE, and some very indistinct wines. There is NO free internet access however. I was also able to cancel my hotel in AKL without penalty through SPG. This was also excellent.. So after a shower and a brief walk through the SYD airport I was able to go to gate 63 for the 1:45 PM departure to LAX. In total I was in SYDNEY for 5 hours!!
UA 840 SYD-LAX
The first class section was completely full. I actually was on the same plane that had transported me from SFO just a few hours earlier. I again was able to sit in seat 2J. As a side note the UA first class suites are really showing their age...and the seats were not cleaned very well at the SYD airport. Thank goodness that UA is coming out with new first class seats.. Of course the movie selection was the same but the menu was quite different. Here is the transcript...
To Begin
A sampling of hot appetizers
Tandoori Lamb Skewer and spiced seafood filo parcel with manto chitney and curried mayonnaise
Roasted tomato Capsicum soup
Salad
Fresh seasonal greens
Creamy herb or beetroot vinaigrette
Main Course
Pan-seared filet mignon with siitake mushroom cream sauce
Macadamia nut crusted chicken with mango lime sauce
Filet of barramundi with red currant and native pepper glaze
Goat cheese and asparagus filled pasta with mushrooms
Dessert
To complete your dining experience:
Ice cream with sundae toppings
Cheese selection: True Blue, Heritage Brie, Kapiti Cheddar
Fresh seasonal fruit with passion fruit coulis and yogurt
Midflight Snack
A variety of fruit, sandwiches and assorted treats
Prior to Arrival
Your selected entree will be served with breakfast breads, butter and fruit preserves
Chicken and mushroom crepe
Lyonnaise potatoes, bake roma tomato half
or
Fresh seasonal fruit plate wih creamy yogurt
WINE and CHAMPAGNE exactly as inbound flight..
I was able to have a very relaxing flight back to LAX. The movie selection was quite boring. The food was quite excellent. The tandoori Lamb Skewer was actually a kebab which was wonderful with the mango chutney. The seafood parcel was light and very tasty. I had the barramundi which was excellent. Many of the other passengers had the beef and I heard one person say it was fantastic. For dessert most people had the ice cream... I had the cheese . The Pommery was free flowing and mysel and another two passengers finished two bottles of the bubbly. The fliying time to LAX was 12 hours and 35 minutes. Believe it or not I was not tired at all, and because of the nice flat beds I was able to get a bit of sleep ( 7 hours to be exact ) which was quite restful.
I am now back in LA. I still cannot believe that I did this crazy short trip... Only you FT'ers would truly understand. Have a great SUNDAY...
Aug 5, 2007, 11:23 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Programs: UA Million Miler (lite). NY Metro area.
Posts: 15,082
RTW4,
I did this trip last week; but with 2 days in between.
I was in 2a both ways. Looking out of the front of the plane was pretty cool for takeoff/arrival.
How come you didn't head over to the far superior New Zealand lounge?
I did this trip last week; but with 2 days in between.
I was in 2a both ways. Looking out of the front of the plane was pretty cool for takeoff/arrival. How come you didn't head over to the far superior New Zealand lounge?
Aug 5, 2007, 11:58 am
#4
In Memoriam
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Katoomba (Blue Mountains)
Programs: Mucci
Posts: 8,083
Aug 5, 2007, 1:29 pm
#5
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,747
That's a great way to earn a lot of miles and get no jetlag.
There is a transit between domestic and international within security at SFO. Someone can describe the location better than me; it is just down the concourse behind the seafood restaurant on the lefthand side. You show your international boarding card and they let you walk downstairs to a van. I'm not sure of its hours though, as I have never taken such a late flight from SFO. I wonder if it was unavailable when you flew?
It sounds as though you tried out the showers in the IFL. Were there any raised eyebrows as to why you might want to use the shower after the short LAX-SFO flight?
There is a transit between domestic and international within security at SFO. Someone can describe the location better than me; it is just down the concourse behind the seafood restaurant on the lefthand side. You show your international boarding card and they let you walk downstairs to a van. I'm not sure of its hours though, as I have never taken such a late flight from SFO. I wonder if it was unavailable when you flew?
It sounds as though you tried out the showers in the IFL. Were there any raised eyebrows as to why you might want to use the shower after the short LAX-SFO flight?
Aug 5, 2007, 1:40 pm
#6
In Memoriam
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Katoomba (Blue Mountains)
Programs: Mucci
Posts: 8,083
Aug 5, 2007, 4:51 pm
#7
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Portland, Oregon
Programs: AA EXP UA 2KMM AMB
Posts: 2,399
However, if you have done all of these in coach, then we might raise an eyebrow or two.
Sounds like it was an excellent experience both ways, and the report is enjoyable to read itself ^
Aug 5, 2007, 5:40 pm
#8
formerly OliverS
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 405
Or was it just for the EQM?
Aug 5, 2007, 9:08 pm
#10
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
Programs: some
Posts: 71,422
Nice trip and nice report. Reminds me of the time I went from New York to San Francisco ... via SIN, BKK, SIN, AKL and LAX (airside the whole time)
Aug 5, 2007, 9:30 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 23,999
Great report OP, very fun to read! Trust me, you are not alone in being crazy enough to do that. You can feel normal here.
Aug 5, 2007, 9:33 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2001
Location: RNO, NV, USA.
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 5,063
RTW4 - a most enjoyable trip report! On FT, we understand these flights.
Thank you for the detailed food and wine menus. They are a definite step-up from what UA was offering in C, a couple of months ago when I flew. The IFL at SFO and the flat bed also make the upgrade worthwhile.
The airside transit from domestic to international at SFO that SanDiego1K refers to is just before you get to the Yankee Pier restaurant, on the right hand side. I'm pretty sure it remains open for the SYD flight in the evening.
There are free Internet computers at the SYD RCC, in a further room on the left. I think there are only 2, and in my experience always in use before the LAX/SFO flights leave. As dhammer53 points out, the Air NZ lounge on the 2nd floor is always worth a visit and has a business center with numerous computers, rarely used.
Thank you for the detailed food and wine menus. They are a definite step-up from what UA was offering in C, a couple of months ago when I flew. The IFL at SFO and the flat bed also make the upgrade worthwhile. The airside transit from domestic to international at SFO that SanDiego1K refers to is just before you get to the Yankee Pier restaurant, on the right hand side. I'm pretty sure it remains open for the SYD flight in the evening.
There are free Internet computers at the SYD RCC, in a further room on the left. I think there are only 2, and in my experience always in use before the LAX/SFO flights leave. As dhammer53 points out, the Air NZ lounge on the 2nd floor is always worth a visit and has a business center with numerous computers, rarely used.
Aug 6, 2007, 5:14 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Agoura Hills, CA USA
Posts: 2,662
For those of you who want to know, I just asked the UA lounge attendant to route me back to LAX as I really wanted to get home as I had important business to attend to. I gave them my PNR, they called their supervisor and it was done. It took 5 minutes. And there was no mention of any reroute fee...
Aug 6, 2007, 10:03 am
#15
Join Date: Apr 2001
Programs: AA (PLATINUM), HHonors (DIAMOND)
Posts: 1,068
Very interesting report and I'm impressed you were able to accomplish such a long journey in such short time. I must say however, that I found the menu you described on UA first to be very unimpressive. I fly QF business class once a year between LAY-SYD and the QF menu is significantly better in J then United in F. QF snacks alone are more impressive and significant then the UA second meal.