Something Old, Something New
Aug 10, 2014, 2:38 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home Airports: CAE/CLT
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, National Executive
Posts: 5,452
Something Old, Something New
Greetings from the US Airways Club, B/C in CLT!
After months of waiting I am finally off on my very first "extravagant" trip using US miles that I have been collecting since the last Grand Slam promotion. Previously we used miles for family travel, but because I am retiring from the US Military in a few short weeks it seemed like the thing to do to splurge a bit.
So with the DW granting me a hall pass, I'm off!
The old refers to flying on US, visiting family in Germany and taking my 22 year old daughter to the town in Northern Germany where she was born. Mrs. Gamecock was not happy with the latter, but oh well.
The new refers to flying business class on US for the first time, as well as J on LX and BR. I will finish the trip off with my first visit to Hong Kong.
Planning:
Back in November of 2013 I started to plan this trip. At first I toyed around with flying through NRT, but for some reason that wasn't really doing it for me. I actually had a couple of itineraries on hold but just couldn't pull the trigger. Then it dawned on me that what I really wanted to do, in conjunction with the Germany segment, was to visit Hong Kong.
So using the ANA website I cobbled this trip together:
CLT-PHL, US 3882. F cabin, A320. This was later changed to a Barbie Jet with no F seating.
PHL-MUC, US 716, J Cabin, A332.
MUC to STR, DB ICE train, 1st class on a Sparpreiss ticket, RT
MUC-ZRH, LX J, Avro RJ 100
ZRH-HKG, LX J, A343
HKG-TPE, BR J, MD90
TPE-LAX, BR J, B773 Scheduled to be a Hello Kitty flight
LAX-CLT, US Domestic F, A321
Cost:
100K US miles and 153.30.
Cost of the DB ICE ticket: 75 Euro with seat reservations.
Previous TR: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1375156-rms-nsy-rob-lert-rms-one-most-spacious-cabins-air.html"]
After months of waiting I am finally off on my very first "extravagant" trip using US miles that I have been collecting since the last Grand Slam promotion. Previously we used miles for family travel, but because I am retiring from the US Military in a few short weeks it seemed like the thing to do to splurge a bit.
So with the DW granting me a hall pass, I'm off!
The old refers to flying on US, visiting family in Germany and taking my 22 year old daughter to the town in Northern Germany where she was born. Mrs. Gamecock was not happy with the latter, but oh well.
The new refers to flying business class on US for the first time, as well as J on LX and BR. I will finish the trip off with my first visit to Hong Kong.
Planning:
Back in November of 2013 I started to plan this trip. At first I toyed around with flying through NRT, but for some reason that wasn't really doing it for me. I actually had a couple of itineraries on hold but just couldn't pull the trigger. Then it dawned on me that what I really wanted to do, in conjunction with the Germany segment, was to visit Hong Kong.
So using the ANA website I cobbled this trip together:
CLT-PHL, US 3882. F cabin, A320. This was later changed to a Barbie Jet with no F seating.
PHL-MUC, US 716, J Cabin, A332.
MUC to STR, DB ICE train, 1st class on a Sparpreiss ticket, RT
MUC-ZRH, LX J, Avro RJ 100
ZRH-HKG, LX J, A343
HKG-TPE, BR J, MD90
TPE-LAX, BR J, B773 Scheduled to be a Hello Kitty flight
LAX-CLT, US Domestic F, A321
Cost:
100K US miles and 153.30.
Cost of the DB ICE ticket: 75 Euro with seat reservations.
Previous TR: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1375156-rms-nsy-rob-lert-rms-one-most-spacious-cabins-air.html"]
Aug 10, 2014, 2:40 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home Airports: CAE/CLT
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, National Executive
Posts: 5,452
Gentle reader,
I had the below ready to post at the PHL US lounge and the internet was HORRID. This is my first chance to post with a reliable signal. Please accept my apolgies for the gap.
I had the below ready to post at the PHL US lounge and the internet was HORRID. This is my first chance to post with a reliable signal. Please accept my apolgies for the gap.
Last edited by Gamecock; Aug 13, 2014 at 3:28 pm
Aug 13, 2014, 3:27 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home Airports: CAE/CLT
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, National Executive
Posts: 5,452
Finally the big day has arrived. I got up early for a quick shower and the DW drove me to CLT. Being Sunday morning the traffic was light and we arrived 70 minutes after leaving home The check-in showed signs of bedlam but by the time I walked to the E terminal things had quieted down.
Because there were no seats showing as available I wanted to arrive at the gate early, just in case the needed someone to volunteer for a later flight. After all, with an 0855 departure with a 1835 departure out of PHL, it made perfect sense to hang out in CLT for a while, if the price was right. When I arrived at the gate I asked the GA and she right away said there was a distinct possibility that she would need someone and asked me to wait. The flight boarded and at the last second she told me my seat wasn’t needed, so I boarded. Just as I started to buckle in the same GA was standing by my seat and asked if I was still interested in taking a later flight. BINGO! A $275 voucher! Good start to the trip.
Leaving the gate I decided to head to the USO lounge for a quick visit. The USO in CLT is right over the food court, where I am told the old BA lounge used to be located. I entered and as usually happens I was warmly greeted and grabbed a quick bite to eat.
Some bar tables, TV, theater style chairs. There are also computers, free books, a childrens play room and luggage storage.
From there I made my way to the US Club located between the B and C.
Worn lounge furniture
The far end of the club has a lot of windows which makes it perfect for plane spotting.
Like most domestic lounges the offerings are pretty Spartan, but It sure beats sitting at the gate.
After a couple of hours hanging out in CLT I made my way to gate C17. I was standby for that flight and when I checked in I discovered I had a seat on that flight. 12B. Oh well, for an 80 minute flight I can sit in the middle. I boarded the A319 and was greeted, well actually ignored by a flight attendant who seemed quite interested in something happening on her fingernails.
The rest of the FAs were OK and we had an uneventful flight to PHL.
Because there were no seats showing as available I wanted to arrive at the gate early, just in case the needed someone to volunteer for a later flight. After all, with an 0855 departure with a 1835 departure out of PHL, it made perfect sense to hang out in CLT for a while, if the price was right. When I arrived at the gate I asked the GA and she right away said there was a distinct possibility that she would need someone and asked me to wait. The flight boarded and at the last second she told me my seat wasn’t needed, so I boarded. Just as I started to buckle in the same GA was standing by my seat and asked if I was still interested in taking a later flight. BINGO! A $275 voucher! Good start to the trip.
Leaving the gate I decided to head to the USO lounge for a quick visit. The USO in CLT is right over the food court, where I am told the old BA lounge used to be located. I entered and as usually happens I was warmly greeted and grabbed a quick bite to eat.
Sausage biscuit donated by Bojangles
Some bar tables, TV, theater style chairs. There are also computers, free books, a childrens play room and luggage storage.
From there I made my way to the US Club located between the B and C.
Worn lounge furniture
The far end of the club has a lot of windows which makes it perfect for plane spotting.
Like most domestic lounges the offerings are pretty Spartan, but It sure beats sitting at the gate.
After a couple of hours hanging out in CLT I made my way to gate C17. I was standby for that flight and when I checked in I discovered I had a seat on that flight. 12B. Oh well, for an 80 minute flight I can sit in the middle. I boarded the A319 and was greeted, well actually ignored by a flight attendant who seemed quite interested in something happening on her fingernails.
The rest of the FAs were OK and we had an uneventful flight to PHL.
Last edited by Gamecock; Aug 13, 2014 at 5:50 pm
Aug 13, 2014, 3:29 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home Airports: CAE/CLT
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, National Executive
Posts: 5,452
Aug 13, 2014, 3:45 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: 6km East of EPAYE
Programs: UA Silver, AA Platinum, AS & DL GM Marriott TE, Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,582
Looking forward to your thoughts on ZRH-HKG. I've taken that flight other way, and just slept so I have now idea how the service or food was 
Looking forward to your TR.
Looking forward to your TR.
Aug 21, 2014, 7:36 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home Airports: CAE/CLT
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, National Executive
Posts: 5,452
After suffering though a dearth of electrical receptacles and dial-up speed Wi-Fi it was time to board US 716 from PHL-MUC. As I said previously, this is one of the new parts of my trip as I have never flown US J class before. I have flow in domestic steerage a few times over last couple of years, and a worst it was benign, not counting the FA on the previous flight who was more interested in checking out her nails as we were boarding. I really didn’t know what to expect. Would I regret choosing US for this segment? As a I was cobbling this trip together back in November I had an itinerary on hold that had me on AC for the flight over the pond.
At the gate I positioned myself to board early so I could take a few shots and not annoy fellow passengers. Well, my BP fired blanks at the scanner and I was pulled aside as the GA tried to figure out what was going on. I immediately feared that my ticket had been cancelled because of an error when I took a later flight later that morning. A few minutes later it was all cleared up and I made my down the jet bridge where we boarded though 2L. When I made the turn into the J cabin I was blown away. The colors on the seats were richer than I expected and the cabin looked like it was all in great repair. Since the cabin was full I didn’t take pics of the seat itself, you all know what the a reverse herringbone seat looks like. So I settled in and noticed a large bottle of water was in a holder on the side of the seat.
Charger, reading light and AVOD control
Predeparture beverage, sparkling wine in a real glass. Also offered was OJ and sparkling water.
Meal selections were taken while at the gate. I wrongly took this as a sign that the crew wanted to feed us and get the lights off.
The amenity kit was rather unattractive to look at:
[/url]
But the contents were adequate
A good thing:
[/url]
Really, really, really cheap blanket and pillow:
Seat controls. I didn’t find the sear particularly comfortable for lounging.
After a short ground hold we took off and climbed rather quickly to the 10,000 foot level.
Tonight’s route:
I ordered a Screwdriver for my predinner drink. Was shocked that it was delivered as seen below, but the FA was very engaging and visited for a minute and told me that the Vodka was distilled in Austin. She promised to come back and see how I liked the taste. Mulling the presentation over I decided it wasn’t all bad because I could mix it to my taste. Sure enough about 5 minutes later the FA asked what I though about the Vodka. I told her I thought it was pretty good. That being said the nuts were room temperature.
The AVOD selection was really impressive. GREAT selection of new movies and old, with over 200 selections. I choose to watch an old favorite during dinner. Why? I wanted to try to sleep as soon as the dinner service was over and didn’t want to form an emotional attachment with something new that would keep me up longer than I really wanted.
The appetizer was actually good. The ham flavorful, the salad fresh.
Now for the main course. Bleh. The meat was devoid of all flavor. The spinach was soggy. The potatoes were OK though. Flavorful without being over salted.
I declined dessert and put my seat flat and tried to go to sleep. It was comfortable, even with the cheap, undersized pillow. I kept fighting the urge to stay awake and finally fell asleep not waking until we were over London. I declined breakfast because I wanted to grab something German to eat. I haven’t been to Germany for 4 years and was dying to eat some German bread.
The flight arrived 20 minutes early and I was the first through passport control. The Customs Officers were just as disinterested and those in FRA and I was landside within 10 minutes of stepping out of the plane.
I located a shower and took a nice long one for 15Euro. A bit overpriced but well worth the cost. It was entertaining to hear the love noises coming from the next cabana over, a female was quite enthusiastic in whatever was going one station over.
So what do I think about my decision to fly US J to Germany? Let me grade it on a 1-5 scale.
Hard Product: 5. Slept well, slept comfortably. Isn’t that what matters on an Eat bound TATL. I’m sure I would have been just as comfortable on a westbound.
Soft Product: 3.5 The Bose NC headphones are awesome, but the flimsy blanket and pillow as well as bad steak detracted from the experience. The FA was attentive, but not as polished as many would care for. I personally didn’t have a problem with that. She was frequently in the cabin checking if we needed anything.
Would I fly this product again? Sure. Just won't eat the steak. Learned my lesson on that one.
Next: Making my way to the ancestral home by way of the ICE train.
At the gate I positioned myself to board early so I could take a few shots and not annoy fellow passengers. Well, my BP fired blanks at the scanner and I was pulled aside as the GA tried to figure out what was going on. I immediately feared that my ticket had been cancelled because of an error when I took a later flight later that morning. A few minutes later it was all cleared up and I made my down the jet bridge where we boarded though 2L. When I made the turn into the J cabin I was blown away. The colors on the seats were richer than I expected and the cabin looked like it was all in great repair. Since the cabin was full I didn’t take pics of the seat itself, you all know what the a reverse herringbone seat looks like. So I settled in and noticed a large bottle of water was in a holder on the side of the seat.
Charger, reading light and AVOD control
Predeparture beverage, sparkling wine in a real glass. Also offered was OJ and sparkling water.
Meal selections were taken while at the gate. I wrongly took this as a sign that the crew wanted to feed us and get the lights off.
The amenity kit was rather unattractive to look at:
[/url] But the contents were adequate
A good thing:
[/url] Really, really, really cheap blanket and pillow:
Seat controls. I didn’t find the sear particularly comfortable for lounging.
After a short ground hold we took off and climbed rather quickly to the 10,000 foot level.
Tonight’s route:
I ordered a Screwdriver for my predinner drink. Was shocked that it was delivered as seen below, but the FA was very engaging and visited for a minute and told me that the Vodka was distilled in Austin. She promised to come back and see how I liked the taste. Mulling the presentation over I decided it wasn’t all bad because I could mix it to my taste. Sure enough about 5 minutes later the FA asked what I though about the Vodka. I told her I thought it was pretty good. That being said the nuts were room temperature.
The AVOD selection was really impressive. GREAT selection of new movies and old, with over 200 selections. I choose to watch an old favorite during dinner. Why? I wanted to try to sleep as soon as the dinner service was over and didn’t want to form an emotional attachment with something new that would keep me up longer than I really wanted.
The appetizer was actually good. The ham flavorful, the salad fresh.
Now for the main course. Bleh. The meat was devoid of all flavor. The spinach was soggy. The potatoes were OK though. Flavorful without being over salted.
I declined dessert and put my seat flat and tried to go to sleep. It was comfortable, even with the cheap, undersized pillow. I kept fighting the urge to stay awake and finally fell asleep not waking until we were over London. I declined breakfast because I wanted to grab something German to eat. I haven’t been to Germany for 4 years and was dying to eat some German bread.
The flight arrived 20 minutes early and I was the first through passport control. The Customs Officers were just as disinterested and those in FRA and I was landside within 10 minutes of stepping out of the plane.
I located a shower and took a nice long one for 15Euro. A bit overpriced but well worth the cost. It was entertaining to hear the love noises coming from the next cabana over, a female was quite enthusiastic in whatever was going one station over.
So what do I think about my decision to fly US J to Germany? Let me grade it on a 1-5 scale.
Hard Product: 5. Slept well, slept comfortably. Isn’t that what matters on an Eat bound TATL. I’m sure I would have been just as comfortable on a westbound.
Soft Product: 3.5 The Bose NC headphones are awesome, but the flimsy blanket and pillow as well as bad steak detracted from the experience. The FA was attentive, but not as polished as many would care for. I personally didn’t have a problem with that. She was frequently in the cabin checking if we needed anything.
Would I fly this product again? Sure. Just won't eat the steak. Learned my lesson on that one.
Next: Making my way to the ancestral home by way of the ICE train.
Aug 21, 2014, 7:49 pm
#7
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: BTR/MSY
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LTP, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,258
Nice start to the report, Gamecock. US J looks pretty good, though not great. At least the hard product is nice. Looking forward to the rest of your installments.