DL J EZE-ATL-JFK turns into UA F EZE-IAD-JFK (with a VDB $400 Voucher to boot!)
Jan 3, 2008, 6:08 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PlatMM, BA and Alaska Emerald, HHonors DIA, Accor, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat Amb, UA Silver, AA
Posts: 4,516
DL J EZE-ATL-JFK turns into UA F EZE-IAD-JFK (with a VDB $400 Voucher to boot!)
I arrived at EZE at 630pm, and things didn't start out well.... but they quickly improved! I was flying on the US$550 all-in DL J ticket--thanks as usual to Jaimito Cartero, the FTer who posted this wonderful fare last May!
Anyway, back to EZE. It was 34C outside, humid and searing hot. The airport, with essentially no air conditioning, was a sweating mess, full of crabby Americans returning from holidays (myself included!). The DL line was a mile long, and even more yucky, the Argentine gov't announced a surprise "energy savings" where the clocks are turned forward on December 30th at midnight. So DL, UA, AA, etc, without informing anyone, moved back all their flights one hour as well. Which meant that, those of us arriving 3 hours early, had actually arrived FOUR hours early, only to sweat it out (literally) in the deserted--at least by workers--check-in areas. Those didn't open until 3 hours prior to the (new) departure times.
I had been looking online, and DL had been, approximately, C6D6Y1 or Y0 for several days--so I knew it's be a full flight, but doubted it'd be oversold, since it had never been sold out.
I saw the lead DL agent walking around, asking people bound for the DC area if they wanted a direct UA flight to IAD instead of connecting in ATL.... and most refused, for some reason--and they were in Y! I assumed she was oversold, and since I've already hit NW's Plat status (83K miles, meaning I didn't need this DL flight for status), I stopped her and asked if they were oversold; she said, yes, but she said it might be difficult to find a seat in Business on AA (Direct to JFK) or UA. I told her I was completely flexible, and would be happy especially with UA. She told me she'd go to the UA ticketing office (upstairs?), and check for sure.
She came back with a "thumbs up" sign, and said that UA had a seat EZE-IAD-JFK, so I went with her to the DL ticketing area, where I was presented with a voucher to bring to UA, along with (she had mentioned she would "also give me some money")--$400 "Delta Dollars" "money"(I couldn't find that on Oanda!).
The most exciting point? The DL ticket agents asking each other in Spanish which class to rebook in; "Charlie" was the answer--but there was a problem, there was no C available, so I thought they'd booked me in D or Z class instead..... well, when I got the voucher, I noticed it said: "Fare Class: A".
Now, those of you who know their fare classes, know that "A" class is usually paid F, with most airlines. Also, with my BD account, since I'm already over 55K miles for the year, I'll get 625% miles for this flight! (That's 5217x6.25+600x6.25=36356 total miles), since Paid F is 300% EQM, and if you're over 55K EQMs in your year with BD, they double the EQMs you get. I'm not sure what the extra 25% is for, but I know it's there, too. The miles have already posted to my BD account, so all is well.
Now, the DL defenders among you will say, "But UA F< or = DL BE". True, DL's service is often better, but with the DL dollars and the BD miles being nearly enough for a free RT in SQ F on an intra-Asia itinerary, it should be better. Plus, the DL seat is about the same as the UA C seat, isn't it? I'm not sure, since I haven't flown either in years, but they look similar.
Finally, I got to JFK about four hours earlier than I was supposed to with DL--for some stupid reason, I'd originally booked myself with 9 hours at ATL, just so I could take the 763ER. Glad I wasn't stuck at ATL!
After waiting to check in for over an hour with about 200+ sweaty, complaining Americans over at the DL queue, I did it again over at UA! Ugh. I was armed with my DL-issued documents.
Actually, it was a relief to have the UA pre-check-in inquisition begin: (“Did you pack your bags yourself? Where have the bags been since you packed them?”, etc). After a brief wait, I got to the F check-in counter. Two families of 5, and 3 separate couples, had been ahead of me in the F/1K line, and none of them were in F on the plane, so I guess one of the parents had been a 1K or GS.
The check-in agent was not too smiley or interested until I started asking her what she thought of the 80-90 degree heat inside the airport..... bingo! That got her talking: “They expect us to work in a wool suit with this heat??”, etc, and she became quite chatty and friendly.
I showed her my DL ticket that I had (It had my name and “original fare designator: “D”, Rebooked in: “A”. I asked her if this was my lucky day, knowing that “A” class on most airlines is First Class. “Let’s look at the booking first”.
After she clicked around a bit, she asked me, “Is 2A OK? It’s a window seat.” I said that would be great, know ing Rows 1 and 2 are F on the UA 767. Excellent! She added my BD *G number, and printed my BPs for both flights, EZE-IAD and IAD-LGA (which I would later changed to IAD-JFK).
After paying $18 departure fee and going through long (though briskly moving, for a total of about 30 minutes) security and immigration lines, I started looking for the UA Red Carpet Club. It’s at the end of the terminal, and I missed it as I walked all the way to the AA lounge. Luckily, I did find it, and was warmly welcomed. I was a bit disappointed to see there was no F section, but actually the food offering was amazingly good: Finger sandwiches included several kinds, but my favorite was a warm flank-steak roll! Yum. The usual cheese, nuts, and cookies rounded out the choices, as well as several wines and liquors.
No showers, which would have been great after the pre-check-in sweat-fest. I changed clothes in the bathroom, which was actually very clean and well-lit.
The flight was called, though not everyone left, since it’s also the lounge for the later LH flight to FRA.
At boarding, there was a secondary check for liquids (I HATE that!), so I ran into the bathroom and emptied my water bottle, which I’d filled in the lounge, and then had the FA re-fill after boarding. Silliness!
I was very warmly greeted by an experienced, but relaxed and professional, UA crew. I must say that UA having the same crews on the same Latin American flights really does seem to be a good idea sometimes--they have local insights, can often speak at least some Spanish (the pilot even did a game job of translating everything he said into Spanish, which was badly accented but rarely heard on any US airline--a pilot trying to speak another language). Cool!
I have been told that UA F and UA J are essentially the same thing, with UA F having slightly better reclining seats, two pillows instead of one, and plated dinners served in courses vs. the tray-dinner on UA J. But service did seem quite personal and friendly--I was really impressed. My name wasn’t used, but the FA was pleasant, chatty, and excellent.
I was offered a pre-departure choice of the usual 3 beverages. F was 11/12, with the last seat being pilot rest. We departed on time, though an hour later than everyone had expected, due to the sudden time change in Argentina that morning.
After take-off, we were offered warm nuts and a pre-dinner drink. I rarely drink liquor on planes, preferring wine or an occasional beer, but this time I took an Absolut Screwdriver. Deliciious, and yes I did have two. :P A second offer of nuts was declined by me.
Dinner was served efficiently, and was surprisingly tasty.
I was THRILLED that UA doesn’t do a “midnight supper” meal on its late-night South America flights like AA does! On my last AA flight in J on GIG-MIA, they only offered a salad with your choice of shrimp or beek skewers, and maybe a dessert. That’s it, and the lights were turned off. I’m happy to report that on UA, it was a full meal!
My meal order was taken 3rd of the 11 pax, which I was surprised about--but I think I may have been one of the few “paying” pax--the rest (at least 7) had been Op-Upped from J. Would the UA FAs know this? I was also *G but I could tell a few 1Ks were there, and I’d been offered my meal choice before them.
Here is the menu:
TO BEGIN:
Ginger Marinated Shrimp, in a lemon and shallot compote
Fresh Seasonal Greens, with creamy tarragon with vanilla or citrus vinaigrette
MAIN COURSE:
Pan-seared Filet Mignon with Tomato Chimichurri Sauce--with roasted potato wedges, sauteed green beans, and roasted yellow and red peppers
Grilled Salmon Filet with Putanesca Sauce--with garlic mashed potatoes and zucchini with basil
Shiitake Mushroom Ravioli--with red and yellow bell pepper sauce
Chicken and Sweet Corn Chowder--Enjoy a hearty soup as your entree
DESSERT
To complete your dining experience
Ice Cream with Sundae toppings
Cheese Selection: Camembert, Gruyere, Blue
Fresh seasonal fruit plate with yogurt coulis
PRIOR TO ARRIVAL
Fresh seasonal Fruit Plate, with breakfast breads, butter, and fruit preserves.
I chose the Salmon as my main, and it was excellent--not too dry, with really nice accompaniments. Along with my UA F LAX-SYD OW, and SFO-SYD-SFO last summer, it seems to be a real problem with UA F catering: A quite-nice first meal, with elaborate service, and then a really poor second service. I mean, the fruit plate with hot croissant for the breakfast was EXACTLY THE SAME as the DL breakfast I’d had a few days earlier in DL Y on ATL-GRU! In fact, the DL Y breakfast actually had a more extensive fruit plate. I was surprised that, on this flight of 5217 miles, there was no hot breakfast.
Anyhow, enough of a rant.
After the dinner service was finished, I watched the rest of my movie (IFE was quite poor, with maybe 8 channels of video on a tiny, 6” screen, although you could also choose from cassette videos as well to play on the in-seat cassette). Luckily, I was tired and ready to sleep. I stretched out and actually really enjoyed the extra pillow--it makes a difference! I slept about 6 hours, though not as well as I did on every one of those TransPacific crossings I did on UA F in the 744 UA F suite! Having the non-flat recline made it harder to fall deeply asleep, kinda like I sleep on the NW tilt-a-gurnees on their World Business Class.
I happened to wake up about 50 minutes before touch-down, and was really glad to see that the UA F FA didn’t wake up the entire cabin for breakfast--he was serving people one by one as they woke up. Impressive! On even some Asian F services, we are all woken up at once, up to 90-120 minutes before touch-down, for breakfast. Nice job, UA! When I went to the restroom, the FA wished me a good morning, and asked if I’d like a breakfast. He mentioned that I’d slept really well--and I’d be glad to know that my mouth hadn’t been hanging open all night, and I hadn’t been snoring! :P
The first round of coffee was cold but the second was piping hot. Breakfast, as mentioned above, was poor--essentially Y (or worse) food on nice plates.
Now, interestingly, I guess it makes sense that UA seems to skimp a bit on F service on this route, since they didn’t have many paying pax--though I guess I was a “paying” pax? Anyone know how much DL would have paid UA for an A-class ticket on EZE-IAD-JFK? Just curious.
Arrival was early, and I got thru immigration and customs quickly. I hadn’t checked a bag, so I don’t know how long that took. I was shocked to find out that UA doesn’t offer its “Arrivals by United” service--with showers, etc--at IAD, one of their largest Int’l hubs!!!??? In fact, the RCC agent said proudly, “There isn’t a single shower available here at IAD.” Huh? UA flies directly to EZE, GIG, GRU, NRT, PEK, LHR, AMS, CDG, ZRH, FRA, and more from here, and doesn’t offer Arrivals, which it’s offered at ORD and SFO and LAX for years? Somebody, please explain that one to me.
The IAD-JFK flight was delayed 3+ hours due to fog at IAD, not allowing UAX (small) planes to land, but that’s not UA’s fault.
In Summary, the Positives:
--Very nice lounge with decent food and drink choices--MUCH better than the AmEx lounge that DL (and possibly CO) uses.
--UA F flight attendants are “experienced”, meaning older, but also, if they are good, they are very good, because they know what they’re doing.
--UA serves a real meal, surprisingly tasty, in F on EZE-IAD, which is a welcome meal, especially compared to AA poor J meals on many South America flights.
--UA F seat is comfortable, though not flat
--Triple Miles for BD FF!
The Negatives:
--The F seat isn’t flat on the 767 (though the FA mentioned they’re installing a new F in the coming year)
--Pathetic breakfast!
--no Arrivals facilities at a huge UA Int’l hub
--no separate F section at the RCC in EZE, also no IFL open in the morning at IAD. Maybe if they had a shower in the IFL, they could offer an arrivals facility there?
--IFE is poor, though with the separate movie selection for F pax it’s decent. The screen is the same size as on DL’s new AVOD system (!), which UA F doesn’t offer.
I would definitely recommend UA F on this route, compared to AA/DL/CO J, since the seats are better or at least comparable, and service is usually more personal.
Anyway, back to EZE. It was 34C outside, humid and searing hot. The airport, with essentially no air conditioning, was a sweating mess, full of crabby Americans returning from holidays (myself included!). The DL line was a mile long, and even more yucky, the Argentine gov't announced a surprise "energy savings" where the clocks are turned forward on December 30th at midnight. So DL, UA, AA, etc, without informing anyone, moved back all their flights one hour as well. Which meant that, those of us arriving 3 hours early, had actually arrived FOUR hours early, only to sweat it out (literally) in the deserted--at least by workers--check-in areas. Those didn't open until 3 hours prior to the (new) departure times.
I had been looking online, and DL had been, approximately, C6D6Y1 or Y0 for several days--so I knew it's be a full flight, but doubted it'd be oversold, since it had never been sold out.
I saw the lead DL agent walking around, asking people bound for the DC area if they wanted a direct UA flight to IAD instead of connecting in ATL.... and most refused, for some reason--and they were in Y! I assumed she was oversold, and since I've already hit NW's Plat status (83K miles, meaning I didn't need this DL flight for status), I stopped her and asked if they were oversold; she said, yes, but she said it might be difficult to find a seat in Business on AA (Direct to JFK) or UA. I told her I was completely flexible, and would be happy especially with UA. She told me she'd go to the UA ticketing office (upstairs?), and check for sure.
She came back with a "thumbs up" sign, and said that UA had a seat EZE-IAD-JFK, so I went with her to the DL ticketing area, where I was presented with a voucher to bring to UA, along with (she had mentioned she would "also give me some money")--$400 "Delta Dollars" "money"(I couldn't find that on Oanda!).
The most exciting point? The DL ticket agents asking each other in Spanish which class to rebook in; "Charlie" was the answer--but there was a problem, there was no C available, so I thought they'd booked me in D or Z class instead..... well, when I got the voucher, I noticed it said: "Fare Class: A".
Now, those of you who know their fare classes, know that "A" class is usually paid F, with most airlines. Also, with my BD account, since I'm already over 55K miles for the year, I'll get 625% miles for this flight! (That's 5217x6.25+600x6.25=36356 total miles), since Paid F is 300% EQM, and if you're over 55K EQMs in your year with BD, they double the EQMs you get. I'm not sure what the extra 25% is for, but I know it's there, too. The miles have already posted to my BD account, so all is well.
Now, the DL defenders among you will say, "But UA F< or = DL BE". True, DL's service is often better, but with the DL dollars and the BD miles being nearly enough for a free RT in SQ F on an intra-Asia itinerary, it should be better. Plus, the DL seat is about the same as the UA C seat, isn't it? I'm not sure, since I haven't flown either in years, but they look similar.
Finally, I got to JFK about four hours earlier than I was supposed to with DL--for some stupid reason, I'd originally booked myself with 9 hours at ATL, just so I could take the 763ER. Glad I wasn't stuck at ATL!
After waiting to check in for over an hour with about 200+ sweaty, complaining Americans over at the DL queue, I did it again over at UA! Ugh. I was armed with my DL-issued documents.
Actually, it was a relief to have the UA pre-check-in inquisition begin: (“Did you pack your bags yourself? Where have the bags been since you packed them?”, etc). After a brief wait, I got to the F check-in counter. Two families of 5, and 3 separate couples, had been ahead of me in the F/1K line, and none of them were in F on the plane, so I guess one of the parents had been a 1K or GS.
The check-in agent was not too smiley or interested until I started asking her what she thought of the 80-90 degree heat inside the airport..... bingo! That got her talking: “They expect us to work in a wool suit with this heat??”, etc, and she became quite chatty and friendly.
I showed her my DL ticket that I had (It had my name and “original fare designator: “D”, Rebooked in: “A”. I asked her if this was my lucky day, knowing that “A” class on most airlines is First Class. “Let’s look at the booking first”.
After she clicked around a bit, she asked me, “Is 2A OK? It’s a window seat.” I said that would be great, know ing Rows 1 and 2 are F on the UA 767. Excellent! She added my BD *G number, and printed my BPs for both flights, EZE-IAD and IAD-LGA (which I would later changed to IAD-JFK).
After paying $18 departure fee and going through long (though briskly moving, for a total of about 30 minutes) security and immigration lines, I started looking for the UA Red Carpet Club. It’s at the end of the terminal, and I missed it as I walked all the way to the AA lounge. Luckily, I did find it, and was warmly welcomed. I was a bit disappointed to see there was no F section, but actually the food offering was amazingly good: Finger sandwiches included several kinds, but my favorite was a warm flank-steak roll! Yum. The usual cheese, nuts, and cookies rounded out the choices, as well as several wines and liquors.
No showers, which would have been great after the pre-check-in sweat-fest. I changed clothes in the bathroom, which was actually very clean and well-lit.
The flight was called, though not everyone left, since it’s also the lounge for the later LH flight to FRA.
At boarding, there was a secondary check for liquids (I HATE that!), so I ran into the bathroom and emptied my water bottle, which I’d filled in the lounge, and then had the FA re-fill after boarding. Silliness!
I was very warmly greeted by an experienced, but relaxed and professional, UA crew. I must say that UA having the same crews on the same Latin American flights really does seem to be a good idea sometimes--they have local insights, can often speak at least some Spanish (the pilot even did a game job of translating everything he said into Spanish, which was badly accented but rarely heard on any US airline--a pilot trying to speak another language). Cool!
I have been told that UA F and UA J are essentially the same thing, with UA F having slightly better reclining seats, two pillows instead of one, and plated dinners served in courses vs. the tray-dinner on UA J. But service did seem quite personal and friendly--I was really impressed. My name wasn’t used, but the FA was pleasant, chatty, and excellent.
I was offered a pre-departure choice of the usual 3 beverages. F was 11/12, with the last seat being pilot rest. We departed on time, though an hour later than everyone had expected, due to the sudden time change in Argentina that morning.
After take-off, we were offered warm nuts and a pre-dinner drink. I rarely drink liquor on planes, preferring wine or an occasional beer, but this time I took an Absolut Screwdriver. Deliciious, and yes I did have two. :P A second offer of nuts was declined by me.
Dinner was served efficiently, and was surprisingly tasty.
I was THRILLED that UA doesn’t do a “midnight supper” meal on its late-night South America flights like AA does! On my last AA flight in J on GIG-MIA, they only offered a salad with your choice of shrimp or beek skewers, and maybe a dessert. That’s it, and the lights were turned off. I’m happy to report that on UA, it was a full meal!
My meal order was taken 3rd of the 11 pax, which I was surprised about--but I think I may have been one of the few “paying” pax--the rest (at least 7) had been Op-Upped from J. Would the UA FAs know this? I was also *G but I could tell a few 1Ks were there, and I’d been offered my meal choice before them.
Here is the menu:
TO BEGIN:
Ginger Marinated Shrimp, in a lemon and shallot compote
Fresh Seasonal Greens, with creamy tarragon with vanilla or citrus vinaigrette
MAIN COURSE:
Pan-seared Filet Mignon with Tomato Chimichurri Sauce--with roasted potato wedges, sauteed green beans, and roasted yellow and red peppers
Grilled Salmon Filet with Putanesca Sauce--with garlic mashed potatoes and zucchini with basil
Shiitake Mushroom Ravioli--with red and yellow bell pepper sauce
Chicken and Sweet Corn Chowder--Enjoy a hearty soup as your entree
DESSERT
To complete your dining experience
Ice Cream with Sundae toppings
Cheese Selection: Camembert, Gruyere, Blue
Fresh seasonal fruit plate with yogurt coulis
PRIOR TO ARRIVAL
Fresh seasonal Fruit Plate, with breakfast breads, butter, and fruit preserves.
I chose the Salmon as my main, and it was excellent--not too dry, with really nice accompaniments. Along with my UA F LAX-SYD OW, and SFO-SYD-SFO last summer, it seems to be a real problem with UA F catering: A quite-nice first meal, with elaborate service, and then a really poor second service. I mean, the fruit plate with hot croissant for the breakfast was EXACTLY THE SAME as the DL breakfast I’d had a few days earlier in DL Y on ATL-GRU! In fact, the DL Y breakfast actually had a more extensive fruit plate. I was surprised that, on this flight of 5217 miles, there was no hot breakfast.
Anyhow, enough of a rant.
After the dinner service was finished, I watched the rest of my movie (IFE was quite poor, with maybe 8 channels of video on a tiny, 6” screen, although you could also choose from cassette videos as well to play on the in-seat cassette). Luckily, I was tired and ready to sleep. I stretched out and actually really enjoyed the extra pillow--it makes a difference! I slept about 6 hours, though not as well as I did on every one of those TransPacific crossings I did on UA F in the 744 UA F suite! Having the non-flat recline made it harder to fall deeply asleep, kinda like I sleep on the NW tilt-a-gurnees on their World Business Class.
I happened to wake up about 50 minutes before touch-down, and was really glad to see that the UA F FA didn’t wake up the entire cabin for breakfast--he was serving people one by one as they woke up. Impressive! On even some Asian F services, we are all woken up at once, up to 90-120 minutes before touch-down, for breakfast. Nice job, UA! When I went to the restroom, the FA wished me a good morning, and asked if I’d like a breakfast. He mentioned that I’d slept really well--and I’d be glad to know that my mouth hadn’t been hanging open all night, and I hadn’t been snoring! :P
The first round of coffee was cold but the second was piping hot. Breakfast, as mentioned above, was poor--essentially Y (or worse) food on nice plates.
Now, interestingly, I guess it makes sense that UA seems to skimp a bit on F service on this route, since they didn’t have many paying pax--though I guess I was a “paying” pax? Anyone know how much DL would have paid UA for an A-class ticket on EZE-IAD-JFK? Just curious.
Arrival was early, and I got thru immigration and customs quickly. I hadn’t checked a bag, so I don’t know how long that took. I was shocked to find out that UA doesn’t offer its “Arrivals by United” service--with showers, etc--at IAD, one of their largest Int’l hubs!!!??? In fact, the RCC agent said proudly, “There isn’t a single shower available here at IAD.” Huh? UA flies directly to EZE, GIG, GRU, NRT, PEK, LHR, AMS, CDG, ZRH, FRA, and more from here, and doesn’t offer Arrivals, which it’s offered at ORD and SFO and LAX for years? Somebody, please explain that one to me.
The IAD-JFK flight was delayed 3+ hours due to fog at IAD, not allowing UAX (small) planes to land, but that’s not UA’s fault.
In Summary, the Positives:
--Very nice lounge with decent food and drink choices--MUCH better than the AmEx lounge that DL (and possibly CO) uses.
--UA F flight attendants are “experienced”, meaning older, but also, if they are good, they are very good, because they know what they’re doing.
--UA serves a real meal, surprisingly tasty, in F on EZE-IAD, which is a welcome meal, especially compared to AA poor J meals on many South America flights.
--UA F seat is comfortable, though not flat
--Triple Miles for BD FF!
The Negatives:
--The F seat isn’t flat on the 767 (though the FA mentioned they’re installing a new F in the coming year)
--Pathetic breakfast!
--no Arrivals facilities at a huge UA Int’l hub
--no separate F section at the RCC in EZE, also no IFL open in the morning at IAD. Maybe if they had a shower in the IFL, they could offer an arrivals facility there?
--IFE is poor, though with the separate movie selection for F pax it’s decent. The screen is the same size as on DL’s new AVOD system (!), which UA F doesn’t offer.
I would definitely recommend UA F on this route, compared to AA/DL/CO J, since the seats are better or at least comparable, and service is usually more personal.
Jan 3, 2008, 9:20 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 23,999
Excellent report, sounds like you really scored big, especially with the BD mileage!^
Actually based on my understanding South America is pretty high yield. Remember that while many F cabins on UA are filled with upgrades, those are often people that paid $8-12K for a C seat, so it can still be very profitable for UA.
As for Arrivals, I agree, but keep in mind that most of the flights you mention don't get in until the afternoon, at which point Arrivals closes at all the other stations too.
Great report, thanks again for taking the time to write it!^
Actually based on my understanding South America is pretty high yield. Remember that while many F cabins on UA are filled with upgrades, those are often people that paid $8-12K for a C seat, so it can still be very profitable for UA.
As for Arrivals, I agree, but keep in mind that most of the flights you mention don't get in until the afternoon, at which point Arrivals closes at all the other stations too.
Great report, thanks again for taking the time to write it!^
Jan 4, 2008, 5:42 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: South Bend, IN
Programs: AA EXP 3 MM; Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 18,562
So, were you on LA 4551 on 12/27? I was looking for you, but didn't see anyone who looked likely to be you. Business Class was very empty. My fiance and I were in 1A&C.
Jan 4, 2008, 6:13 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PlatMM, BA and Alaska Emerald, HHonors DIA, Accor, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat Amb, UA Silver, AA
Posts: 4,516
I did like getting a few AA miles to top off my account and extend its expiry date, though! And with those great J class FLAT seats, I'd take LA again anytime.
Jan 4, 2008, 7:05 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: South Bend, IN
Programs: AA EXP 3 MM; Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 18,562
Sorry I didn't contact you before my trip--because of DL's "weather" delay, which included one hour of weather delay and one hour of "our seat map is wrong in the computer, please take any open seat," chaos, I missed my flight ATL-GRU, so I spent one night at the slightly less glamorous (than Buenos Aires!) Sheraton Gateway ATL airport on the 27th, instead taking LA 4551 on the 28th. I sat in 1A. Was it the new or old config? Mine was new, which I must say was quite nice. I never, once, got any refill of any beverage--it was just summarily taken away. I'd say service quality on LA is same as UA or AA, though slightly less casual.
I did like getting a few AA miles to top off my account and extend its expiry date, though! And with those great J class FLAT seats, I'd take LA again anytime.
I did like getting a few AA miles to top off my account and extend its expiry date, though! And with those great J class FLAT seats, I'd take LA again anytime.
We had the old configuration, which was fine by me as Row 1 was the old First Class seats.
Jan 4, 2008, 8:11 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PlatMM, BA and Alaska Emerald, HHonors DIA, Accor, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat Amb, UA Silver, AA
Posts: 4,516
Next time, we'll stay somewhere better.
Jan 4, 2008, 8:22 am
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,211
Yes, we have been having a bit of a heatwave the last couple of weeks, got up to 39c the other day.
Ezeiza is a great airport but I agree it can get a bit hot sometimes at the check-in hall especially.
Jan 4, 2008, 10:58 am
#8
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA 1K, AA Plat Pro, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,048
Great Report. I flew down to EZE this December as well and was comtemplating flying on United through IAD or LAN through SCL. Went with LAN since the APEX 2-4-1 really helped. I flew back on 12/29 and all the agents were talking about the 1-hour change the next day and how no one really knew about it. And yes, the airport was way too hot. The Admirals club was actually quite hot as well, how was the RCC?
Jan 5, 2008, 7:18 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Rural Ozarks These Days
Programs: UA and BA
Posts: 221
I believe I was on the UA flight with you, the one coming home from BsAs on 12/30 EZE-IAD. I agree about the great FAs on this flight. This is my third year as a UA 1K and this was the best crew, both coming and going to EZE, that I've ever had on UA. Our check-in agent at 12/30 at EZE also was complaining about the heat (maybe it was the same woman you had) although it did not seem to be as hot upstairs in the gate area.
I was a little confused by your comment that because you did not see the 1 family + 2 couples in F that you saw in the 1K check-in line that the only possiblity was that "one of the parents must have been 1K." My husband and I are both 1K, used the 1K check-in line, had seats in C. (FWIW this was by far the most expensive plane ticket I've ever bought -- I cannot believe the fares to EZE!!. We justified it by doing all of our hotel nights for this trip on points). Anyway, maybe we were one of the couples you mentioned seeing in the 1K check-in line.
Anyway, hope you had a great time in BsA. It was our first visit there and we loved it. Thinking about a return Argentina trip next year to see more of the country. This time we only had time for one side trip (Iguasu Falls) and would love to see Mendoza, Patagonia, Uruguay, etc.
SEA2BA
I was a little confused by your comment that because you did not see the 1 family + 2 couples in F that you saw in the 1K check-in line that the only possiblity was that "one of the parents must have been 1K." My husband and I are both 1K, used the 1K check-in line, had seats in C. (FWIW this was by far the most expensive plane ticket I've ever bought -- I cannot believe the fares to EZE!!. We justified it by doing all of our hotel nights for this trip on points). Anyway, maybe we were one of the couples you mentioned seeing in the 1K check-in line.
Anyway, hope you had a great time in BsA. It was our first visit there and we loved it. Thinking about a return Argentina trip next year to see more of the country. This time we only had time for one side trip (Iguasu Falls) and would love to see Mendoza, Patagonia, Uruguay, etc.
SEA2BA
Jan 5, 2008, 8:28 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PlatMM, BA and Alaska Emerald, HHonors DIA, Accor, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat Amb, UA Silver, AA
Posts: 4,516
I was a little confused by your comment that because you did not see the 1 family + 2 couples in F that you saw in the 1K check-in line that the only possiblity was that "one of the parents must have been 1K." My husband and I are both 1K, used the 1K check-in line, had seats in C.
SEA2BA
SEA2BA
Glad you enjoyed your flight--and too bad you didn't get upgraded to F, since they did UG several other 1K folks because Y/J were full.
Jan 5, 2008, 10:16 pm
#11
Join Date: Oct 2003
Programs: UA 1K, AA Plat.
Posts: 493
What kind of breakfast does AA serve on the EZE-N.A. flights? I only ask because it seems like it might be a case of UA offsetting a full breakfast by offering a full dinner instead. In effect, a 2.5 hour dinner, plus 1.5 hour hot breakfast would take up an awful lot of a 9 hour flight. Don't most people prefer to sleep longer on that flight?
Jan 19, 2008, 7:56 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: check swarm
Programs: DL DM & 2MM, SPG/Bonvoid LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, $tarbucks Titanium
Posts: 14,404
What kind of breakfast does AA serve on the EZE-N.A. flights? I only ask because it seems like it might be a case of UA offsetting a full breakfast by offering a full dinner instead. In effect, a 2.5 hour dinner, plus 1.5 hour hot breakfast would take up an awful lot of a 9 hour flight. Don't most people prefer to sleep longer on that flight?