American Airlines First Class (Business Class), 767-300 Florida Flights, MIA-MCO-MIA
Sep 17, 2014, 1:49 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Programs: IAMAW Local 368/HAL 2 Star Mariner
Posts: 740
American Airlines First Class (Business Class), 767-300 Florida Flights, MIA-MCO-MIA
Comments are very much welcomed and appreciated. {veryhappy}
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Routing for this IntraFloridian Widebody trip. Railroad - operated segments are drawn in baby blue. Map generated by the Great Circle Mapper - Copyright © Karl L. Swartz
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American Airlines First Class, Boeing 767-300, Angle-Lie-Flat Seats, Miami, Florida, Miami International Airport (MIA / KMIA), American Airlines Admiral's Clubs at MIA, Orlando, Florida, Orlando International Airport (MCO / KMCO), IntraFloridian Flights, Tri-Rail South Florida Railroad, Miami Metrorail Railroad
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FOREWORD
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Recently, I found out that AA runs a same day 763 on MIA-MCO-MIA on certain weekends, and I figured it would make the perfect weekend outing, so kick back, relax, and enjoy an intricately-detailed trip report.
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Routing for this IntraFloridian Widebody trip. Railroad - operated segments are drawn in baby blue. Map generated by the Great Circle Mapper - Copyright © Karl L. Swartz
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<a href="http://info.flagcounter.com/7XVw"><img src="http://s09.flagcounter.com/count/7XVw/bg_FFFFFF/txt_000000/border_CCCCCC/columns_8/maxflags_250/viewers_3/labels_1/pageviews_0/flags_0/" alt="Flag Counter" border="0"></a>
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American Airlines First Class, Boeing 767-300, Angle-Lie-Flat Seats, Miami, Florida, Miami International Airport (MIA / KMIA), American Airlines Admiral's Clubs at MIA, Orlando, Florida, Orlando International Airport (MCO / KMCO), IntraFloridian Flights, Tri-Rail South Florida Railroad, Miami Metrorail Railroad
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FOREWORD
---
Recently, I found out that AA runs a same day 763 on MIA-MCO-MIA on certain weekends, and I figured it would make the perfect weekend outing, so kick back, relax, and enjoy an intricately-detailed trip report.
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Sep 17, 2014, 1:50 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Programs: IAMAW Local 368/HAL 2 Star Mariner
Posts: 740
CRP (Cypress Creek Station) - MIA (Miami Airport Station)
RAILROAD DATA SOURCE (S) :
1. Tri Rail | South Florida Regional Transportation Authority
2. South Florida Regional Transportation Authority
3. PWRR Railroad Reporting Marks - T
4. Broward County | Tri Rail
5. Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport Public Transportation - Tri-Rail
Routing for this train segment operated by Tri-Rail.
I woke up to the sound of Tiesto's Walls track blaring into my ear at 8:55 AM, and quickly starting getting ready for the day. I had scheduled a cab to pick me up at 11:30 AM EST, but I decided to change my ride-for-hire at the last minute to 9:55 AM, which actually ended up saving the whole trip from catastrophe later...
Right at the scheduled moment, my cab pulled up to my oceanfront abode and I was quickly on my way. Today I rode in a Chrysler minivan, which was spacious enough, but reeked of tobacco! I wish Yellow Cab would enforce its employment contract, I've seen employees smoking, eating, talking on the phone to their friends, and even transporting their children in the cab when it has been hired. Anyway, he drops me off at the Cypress Creek Tri-Rail station after trying to convince me the whole time to take a cab to MIA instead of a train for "Only" $95.....Once I step out of the Tobacco-scented taxi, I saunter up the steps to the to the Tri-Rail ticket vending machines.
My Chrysler cab from Yellow Cab arrives.
Cypress Creek Tri-Rail Station.
Tri Rail Ticket Vending Machines. Really easy to use, I must say.
Buying a roundtrip ticket to the MIA Airport station.
Holographic ticket, to prevent counterfeiting.
Tri-Rail traces its history all the way back to 1927, when the Florida Sea-Board-All Florida Railway laid down track linking South Florid with New York City, operated by the Orange Blossom Special. The present Tri-Rail began operations on January 9th, 1989, after six years of planning and construction. Elements of the now-defunct Seaboard Railway corporation still remain, the most obvious of which would be the Spanish Colonial Revival-architecturally styled station buildings built in 1929. As of this writing in September 2014, the following original 1920's-Era stations are still standing and in use: West Palm Beach Station (PBI), Delray Beach Station (DBL), Deerfield Beach Station (DFR), Fort Lauderdale Station (FLL), Hollywood Station (HLY), Opa-Locka Station (OPL), and Hialeah Station (HIA).
Tickets on Tri-Rail are dirt cheap compared to cab fares, with today's Cypress Creek-Miami-Cypress Creek roundtrip only running me $5 USD. The downside to these low prices is that there is no onboard service or amenities, other than free seating, lavatories (which are often out of order), and potable / drinkable water dispensers. There are still many advantages to taking the train over a normal city bus (Besides the fact that railroad transport is a lot more enjoyable for a newbie railfain like me
).
For one, there is substantially more seating aboard Tri-Rail trains, so you never have to worry about locating a seat. Secondly, the seats are nicely padded, have decent legroom, and some even have permanently-affixed tables. The most beneficial factor about going with the train, however, is that there is no need to "connect" as the train only travels in two directions, north and south. This makes it effortless to travel to any of the commercially-serviced airports in South Florida: FLL, MIA, and PBI, all linked in either direction by railroad. Finally, Tri-Rail riders can easily connect to Amtrak and Miami Metrorail, meaning a rider can travel further than the areas that Tri-Rail services.
Walking over the overpass to the other side of the platform. The highrise on the right was going to be named "World Trade Center" but public outcry and county commissioners forced the developers to shorten it to "Trade Center".
A very quiet station.
It turns out that I arrived a bit too early, missing the first southbound train as it departed several minutes before my cab arrived, according to the complimentary paper schedule, so I sat on one of the platform benches and enjoyed the quiet serenity of the station, along with the various aircraft departing from FXE (Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport).
A piper departs from FXE.
The northbound train arrives. The first car is a Hyundai Rotem combined driver / passenger car, the next two are just Rotem passenger cars, and the locomotive was an EMD GP49 before being rebuilt by the Mid America Railway as an EMD GP49H-3.
Closeups of the EMD GP49H-3 as it departs.
A few minutes after the scheduled departure time, my scheduled train arrived. Today's outbound trainset consisted of a single MotivePower F40PHL-2 locomotive, two Hyundai Rotem BiLevel (Double deck / decker), and a lone Hyundai BiLevel Conductor / Passenger wagon.
The routing we took down to Miami was only scheduled to be about an hour, but there were some interesting objects of interest along the way anyway. In between the Fort Lauderdale downtown and Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport Stations, the train passes right by United States Interstate 95 (commonly known as I95) which is parallel to the threshold of the only runway in use at FLL (until the "New" runway opens) , Runway 10L. Past FLL, the unused carcass of what used to be the Dania Beach Hurricane, a decaying wooden rollercoaster that was deemed to be condemned a few years back by Broward County Building Code inspectors and hasn't been used ever since then. Finally, I spotted an old, decrepit airstair with rusty "Pan Am" titles. I rushed to grab my camera and barely captured an image of it.
My southbound train arrives, spearheaded by a strong-looking MotivePower F40PHL-2 Diesel Locomotive.
Boarding the Hyundai Rotem double-decker commuter rail wagon.
Walking up the stairs to the upper deck, for the view of course.
Upper deck cabin. The ceiling reminds me of an aircraft cabin roof.
Seats with a table installed. I was going to sit there, but it was on the wrong side for taking scenic pictures.
My seat, 41B. Though seating on this line isn't lettered or even assigned ever in the history of operation.
Even decent legroom! (I dressed up for this flight in a button down, dress shoes, and black pants, hence the black slacks)
Really nice view from up here, departing Cypress Creek Tri-Rail station.
FLL? Not today!
Downtown Fort Lauderdale as we zoom next to the motorists on I95.
FLL Runway 10L Threshold and FLL in general. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take many good pictures of it on account of how fast the train was going.
Kind of depressing to see the only wooden roller coaster for hundreds of miles in shambles, the Dania Beach Hurricane. This coaster opened its doors on November 1st, 2000, and ceased operations immediately on April 26th, 2014 after Broward County Building Code inspectors responded to a code violation report by somebody. They found rotting wood, rusty bolts, broken beams, and other safety hazards, yet the ride was still being operated. The inspectors then condemned the ride and ordered its closure immediately, and the ride hasn't operated since.
Old, rusty Pan Am airstair now configured to do something else / rusting in the wind.
American Airlines 767-300 Winglet departing! We must be getting close to MIA!
About halfway through the segment, I decided to take a glance at the Tri-Rail complimentary paper schedule that I had received back up at the Cypress Creek station out of pure curiosity. I then discovered that I had a stroke of VERY good luck. As I said in the beginning of this report, I had originally planned to wake up at 10:30 AM EST and depart for the CYP station at 11:30 AM EST. I changed my plans at the last minute to waking up at 8:55 AM EST and leaving my place at 9:55 AM EST instead, to have more time to enjoy Miami International Airport (MIA). If I had awakened at 10:30 AM EST and left for the Cypress Creek station at 11:30 AM EST, I would have never made my flight as it started boarding at 1:25 PM EST. Even though I'm not EXTREMELY religious, sometimes, I really I have a guardian angel blessing me with good fortune up in the heavens....
Halfway between the Hollywood Tri-Rail Station (HLY) and the Golden Glades Station (GLG), the conductor applied the airbrakes, announcing that he was requesting clearance from the Track Dispatcher (?) to transition into Miami-Dade County. It was about 11:20 AM EST at the time, and I was becoming worried that I'd miss my flight.
Ten minutes later, the train engineer advanced the throttle and we sped into and past the Golden Glades, Opa Locka, and finally the Miami Metrorail Transfer Station. I grabbed my knapsack and began to walk down the stairs from the upper deck to the exit. Mid-step however, I heard the booming voice of the conductor over one of the loudspeakers, boisterously declaring "NEXT STOP MIAMI AIRPORT, TAKE THE SHUTTLE BUS AT THE STATION TO THE AIRPORT, NEXT STOP MIAMI AIRPORT, FINAL CALL FOR MIAMI METRORAIL TRANSFER STATION, DOORS ARE CLOSING SOON, STAND CLEAR!"
American Airlines 767-300 Winglet departing! We must be getting close to MIA!
Prior to that point, I was under the impression that the furthest southern Termini (station at the end of the track in any give direction) was the Miami Metrorail Transfer Station and to route directly into MIA I would need to connect to the Miami Metrorail, an above-road subway. While you can ride the MRM all the way into the airport, the actual southernmost Tri-Rail Termini is the Hialeah Market / Miami International Airport Transfer Station (HIA), where a dedicated bus / shuttle operated by Miami Metrobus would drop me off at MIA.
I inquired to a TSA officer (who happened to be commuting to her job) about the train indeed continuing on from the Metrorail Transfer Station to MIA, and she answered in the affirmative, so I remained onboard. After one last five minute ride, I reached the HIA station, stepped off Tri-Rail, and walked into a Miami Metrobus NABI Fort-footer bus.
The bus driver took a scenic route through some of the innercity Miami neighborhoods, before turning onto I95 next to MIA. Suddenly, I saw a building marked "FLIGHT SCHOOL" with what appeared to be a retired American Airlines Super 80 (MD-80) and the nose section of an old United States Coast Guard flying boat. I was sitting on the right side of the bus, so I turned around and saw a hive of American Airlines aircraft! We pulled into the bus waiting lane, and I was quickly on my way to the inside of the lower level baggage claim at MIA.
NABI 40-foot bus, ready to take me from the Hialeah Station to MIA.
Normal city bus interior inside.
Pulling into Miami International Airport!
Walking into the Concourse D lower level baggage claim, looking for a way to get up to the second floor, which is where ticketing is.
RAILROAD DATA SOURCE (S) :
1. Tri Rail | South Florida Regional Transportation Authority
2. South Florida Regional Transportation Authority
3. PWRR Railroad Reporting Marks - T
4. Broward County | Tri Rail
5. Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport Public Transportation - Tri-Rail
Routing for this train segment operated by Tri-Rail.
I woke up to the sound of Tiesto's Walls track blaring into my ear at 8:55 AM, and quickly starting getting ready for the day. I had scheduled a cab to pick me up at 11:30 AM EST, but I decided to change my ride-for-hire at the last minute to 9:55 AM, which actually ended up saving the whole trip from catastrophe later...
Right at the scheduled moment, my cab pulled up to my oceanfront abode and I was quickly on my way. Today I rode in a Chrysler minivan, which was spacious enough, but reeked of tobacco! I wish Yellow Cab would enforce its employment contract, I've seen employees smoking, eating, talking on the phone to their friends, and even transporting their children in the cab when it has been hired. Anyway, he drops me off at the Cypress Creek Tri-Rail station after trying to convince me the whole time to take a cab to MIA instead of a train for "Only" $95.....Once I step out of the Tobacco-scented taxi, I saunter up the steps to the to the Tri-Rail ticket vending machines.
My Chrysler cab from Yellow Cab arrives.
Cypress Creek Tri-Rail Station.
Tri Rail Ticket Vending Machines. Really easy to use, I must say.
Buying a roundtrip ticket to the MIA Airport station.
Holographic ticket, to prevent counterfeiting.
Tri-Rail traces its history all the way back to 1927, when the Florida Sea-Board-All Florida Railway laid down track linking South Florid with New York City, operated by the Orange Blossom Special. The present Tri-Rail began operations on January 9th, 1989, after six years of planning and construction. Elements of the now-defunct Seaboard Railway corporation still remain, the most obvious of which would be the Spanish Colonial Revival-architecturally styled station buildings built in 1929. As of this writing in September 2014, the following original 1920's-Era stations are still standing and in use: West Palm Beach Station (PBI), Delray Beach Station (DBL), Deerfield Beach Station (DFR), Fort Lauderdale Station (FLL), Hollywood Station (HLY), Opa-Locka Station (OPL), and Hialeah Station (HIA).
Tickets on Tri-Rail are dirt cheap compared to cab fares, with today's Cypress Creek-Miami-Cypress Creek roundtrip only running me $5 USD. The downside to these low prices is that there is no onboard service or amenities, other than free seating, lavatories (which are often out of order), and potable / drinkable water dispensers. There are still many advantages to taking the train over a normal city bus (Besides the fact that railroad transport is a lot more enjoyable for a newbie railfain like me
).For one, there is substantially more seating aboard Tri-Rail trains, so you never have to worry about locating a seat. Secondly, the seats are nicely padded, have decent legroom, and some even have permanently-affixed tables. The most beneficial factor about going with the train, however, is that there is no need to "connect" as the train only travels in two directions, north and south. This makes it effortless to travel to any of the commercially-serviced airports in South Florida: FLL, MIA, and PBI, all linked in either direction by railroad. Finally, Tri-Rail riders can easily connect to Amtrak and Miami Metrorail, meaning a rider can travel further than the areas that Tri-Rail services.
Walking over the overpass to the other side of the platform. The highrise on the right was going to be named "World Trade Center" but public outcry and county commissioners forced the developers to shorten it to "Trade Center".
A very quiet station.
It turns out that I arrived a bit too early, missing the first southbound train as it departed several minutes before my cab arrived, according to the complimentary paper schedule, so I sat on one of the platform benches and enjoyed the quiet serenity of the station, along with the various aircraft departing from FXE (Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport).
A piper departs from FXE.
The northbound train arrives. The first car is a Hyundai Rotem combined driver / passenger car, the next two are just Rotem passenger cars, and the locomotive was an EMD GP49 before being rebuilt by the Mid America Railway as an EMD GP49H-3.
Closeups of the EMD GP49H-3 as it departs.
A few minutes after the scheduled departure time, my scheduled train arrived. Today's outbound trainset consisted of a single MotivePower F40PHL-2 locomotive, two Hyundai Rotem BiLevel (Double deck / decker), and a lone Hyundai BiLevel Conductor / Passenger wagon.
The routing we took down to Miami was only scheduled to be about an hour, but there were some interesting objects of interest along the way anyway. In between the Fort Lauderdale downtown and Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport Stations, the train passes right by United States Interstate 95 (commonly known as I95) which is parallel to the threshold of the only runway in use at FLL (until the "New" runway opens) , Runway 10L. Past FLL, the unused carcass of what used to be the Dania Beach Hurricane, a decaying wooden rollercoaster that was deemed to be condemned a few years back by Broward County Building Code inspectors and hasn't been used ever since then. Finally, I spotted an old, decrepit airstair with rusty "Pan Am" titles. I rushed to grab my camera and barely captured an image of it.
My southbound train arrives, spearheaded by a strong-looking MotivePower F40PHL-2 Diesel Locomotive.
Boarding the Hyundai Rotem double-decker commuter rail wagon.
Walking up the stairs to the upper deck, for the view of course.
Upper deck cabin. The ceiling reminds me of an aircraft cabin roof.
Seats with a table installed. I was going to sit there, but it was on the wrong side for taking scenic pictures.
My seat, 41B. Though seating on this line isn't lettered or even assigned ever in the history of operation.
Even decent legroom! (I dressed up for this flight in a button down, dress shoes, and black pants, hence the black slacks)
Really nice view from up here, departing Cypress Creek Tri-Rail station.
FLL? Not today!
Downtown Fort Lauderdale as we zoom next to the motorists on I95.
FLL Runway 10L Threshold and FLL in general. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take many good pictures of it on account of how fast the train was going.
Kind of depressing to see the only wooden roller coaster for hundreds of miles in shambles, the Dania Beach Hurricane. This coaster opened its doors on November 1st, 2000, and ceased operations immediately on April 26th, 2014 after Broward County Building Code inspectors responded to a code violation report by somebody. They found rotting wood, rusty bolts, broken beams, and other safety hazards, yet the ride was still being operated. The inspectors then condemned the ride and ordered its closure immediately, and the ride hasn't operated since.
Old, rusty Pan Am airstair now configured to do something else / rusting in the wind.
American Airlines 767-300 Winglet departing! We must be getting close to MIA!
About halfway through the segment, I decided to take a glance at the Tri-Rail complimentary paper schedule that I had received back up at the Cypress Creek station out of pure curiosity. I then discovered that I had a stroke of VERY good luck. As I said in the beginning of this report, I had originally planned to wake up at 10:30 AM EST and depart for the CYP station at 11:30 AM EST. I changed my plans at the last minute to waking up at 8:55 AM EST and leaving my place at 9:55 AM EST instead, to have more time to enjoy Miami International Airport (MIA). If I had awakened at 10:30 AM EST and left for the Cypress Creek station at 11:30 AM EST, I would have never made my flight as it started boarding at 1:25 PM EST. Even though I'm not EXTREMELY religious, sometimes, I really I have a guardian angel blessing me with good fortune up in the heavens....
Halfway between the Hollywood Tri-Rail Station (HLY) and the Golden Glades Station (GLG), the conductor applied the airbrakes, announcing that he was requesting clearance from the Track Dispatcher (?) to transition into Miami-Dade County. It was about 11:20 AM EST at the time, and I was becoming worried that I'd miss my flight.
Ten minutes later, the train engineer advanced the throttle and we sped into and past the Golden Glades, Opa Locka, and finally the Miami Metrorail Transfer Station. I grabbed my knapsack and began to walk down the stairs from the upper deck to the exit. Mid-step however, I heard the booming voice of the conductor over one of the loudspeakers, boisterously declaring "NEXT STOP MIAMI AIRPORT, TAKE THE SHUTTLE BUS AT THE STATION TO THE AIRPORT, NEXT STOP MIAMI AIRPORT, FINAL CALL FOR MIAMI METRORAIL TRANSFER STATION, DOORS ARE CLOSING SOON, STAND CLEAR!"
American Airlines 767-300 Winglet departing! We must be getting close to MIA!
Prior to that point, I was under the impression that the furthest southern Termini (station at the end of the track in any give direction) was the Miami Metrorail Transfer Station and to route directly into MIA I would need to connect to the Miami Metrorail, an above-road subway. While you can ride the MRM all the way into the airport, the actual southernmost Tri-Rail Termini is the Hialeah Market / Miami International Airport Transfer Station (HIA), where a dedicated bus / shuttle operated by Miami Metrobus would drop me off at MIA.
I inquired to a TSA officer (who happened to be commuting to her job) about the train indeed continuing on from the Metrorail Transfer Station to MIA, and she answered in the affirmative, so I remained onboard. After one last five minute ride, I reached the HIA station, stepped off Tri-Rail, and walked into a Miami Metrobus NABI Fort-footer bus.
The bus driver took a scenic route through some of the innercity Miami neighborhoods, before turning onto I95 next to MIA. Suddenly, I saw a building marked "FLIGHT SCHOOL" with what appeared to be a retired American Airlines Super 80 (MD-80) and the nose section of an old United States Coast Guard flying boat. I was sitting on the right side of the bus, so I turned around and saw a hive of American Airlines aircraft! We pulled into the bus waiting lane, and I was quickly on my way to the inside of the lower level baggage claim at MIA.
NABI 40-foot bus, ready to take me from the Hialeah Station to MIA.
Normal city bus interior inside.
Pulling into Miami International Airport!
Walking into the Concourse D lower level baggage claim, looking for a way to get up to the second floor, which is where ticketing is.
Sep 17, 2014, 1:55 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Programs: IAMAW Local 368/HAL 2 Star Mariner
Posts: 740
KMIA (Miami - International Airport / Wilcox Field / 36th Street / Pan American Field) - KMCO (Orlando International Airport - McCoy)
FLIGHT DATA SOURCE (S) :
1. Planespotter.Net Airline Data
2. Planespotter.Net Airframe Data
3. FlightAware Live Flight Tracking Data
4. Airline Fleet Data
5. Airline General Class of Service Info
6. Airline Aircraft Specific Data / Onboard Product / Amenities
7. Airline Onboard Dining /Cuisine Data
8. Airline Onboard Beverage Selection Data
9. Airline Seat Map Data
10. SeatGuru Seat Map Data
FlightAware for this flight. Copyright FlightAware © 2014
Not having any time to spare, at about 11:55A AM EST, I ran into the baggage claim, desperately looking for a way to access the upper level ticketing / checkin hall. After asking a Cuban Coffee stall server, I am running to the nearest elevator....in dress shoes (as I said earlier, I dressed up for the flight with black trousers, a button down shirt, and dress shoes), just barely catching a ride before the doors slammed shut.
Inside the elevator, a couple who wasn't quite old enough to be elderly but not young enough to be middle age did not seem to pleased to be sharing the elevator with such a young "whippersnapper". They stared at me and pointed at one of the elevator buttons, murmuring incomprehensible phrases before becoming outwardly irate and just pushing the button themselves. As I exited the elevator with them walking out behind me, I overhead the husband saying "there's a whole generation just like him" (WHAT? I didn't even understand what you said?). Flared up by this man's ignorant comments, I was tempted to do a 180 degree turn and fire back, "Guess which generation raised us!?" but I remember the manners my VERY traditional manners my parents taught me, refraining from engaging him.
After I printed my receipt-paper boarding passes at the kiosk (and adding on 3,000 AAdvantage account miles for only $30
), I head over to the MIA Concourse D security checkpoint and went through the usual TSA rituals before entering the airside.
Heading over to the Priority AAccess desks and kiosks to print out my boarding passes.
Printing out boarding passes at the Priority AAccess carry-on-only kiosks.
AA reminds me of my flight's gate assignment, the most useful feature I've seen a kiosk perform IMO.
While waiting in the Priority AAcess Security lane, I spotted the Flagship First Class Check in "room". I'll be in there on Saturday. {hyper}
MIA is much more modern than FLL, and is much more spacious as well. High ceilings create a general feeling of substantial spaciousness. Between the various lengths of terminal are very large skylights, even higher than the normal ceilings, with each containing a unique "luxury good advertisement", for example, there was a Lincoln Towncar parked in the center of one skylight. With the tall ceilings, the sheer amount of retail and dining venues, and the omnipresent could easily be mistaken for a high - class shopping mall or hotel.
Instead of taking the MIA Mover (The Bombardier APM-100 train that links all of the terminals at Miami International Airport) over to the Admiral's Club, I decided to traverse the good old fashioned way: walking! My stroll over to the clubroom was actually quite enjoyable, since I was unable to explore MIA "in-depth" the last time I was here on may 17th: http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/253053
Eventually, I find my way to the entrance escalator, check-in with the agents at the top (and receive souvenir cardstock boarding passes / receipt), and make my way into the lounge itself.
Airside at MIA, walking to the Admiral's Club.
Entering the club.
Initially I was confused, as the Admiral's Club appeared to have no walls! However, the agent told me that what is pictured above is an overflow area, and I turn around and see...
The entrance! (I sincerely apologize for the blurriness)
Checking in.
The American Airlines Admiral's Club is comparable to the overall offerings of the US Airways Club, the Delta Sky Club, and the United Club. One-Day Passes are available for $50 USD (which is how I was granted admittance), offered food is usually munchies, junk food, and snacks, there is a bar, free Wi-FI Wireless Broadband internet, and other such amenities typical of United States-based airlines' airport lounges.
Entering the Club.
The main "Grand Hall" seating area.
Usual United States-based airline lounge hamster food - cookies, snack mixes, complimentary beverages, fruit, and vegetables.
One thing that sets AA apart in this regard, though, is that most of their lounges within their hub airports have an actual sit-down restaurant within the club itself (Delta does this as well at one of the Sky Clubs in JFK I believe, but I'm unsure of whether they do this anywhere else besides New York). There are complimentary light snacks just like every other United States-based airline lounge, including fresh-baked cookies, fruit, vegetables, and snack mixes. But the REAL food in the inter-club restaurant isn't free.
I don't understand why, but American Airlines has been harshly criticized for not making the food in the eatery free. I don't agree with those critics at all. For one thing, it's good that the restaurant exists at all, I'd definitely prefer a surcharged dining venue rather than have only hamster food. Secondly, I doubt American Airlines could afford to keep the various prices of admittance down AND keep the wide extent of the restaurant's menu if they made the food free. The menu itself is actually pretty extensive, here are scans from the menu that the bartender let me keep:
Scans of all four menu pages.
Since I didn't have any breakfast, I take a seat at the bar (generating strange looks from the other adults in the bar-chairs surrounding me all the while) and explored the menu, eventually settling on a Vanilla Belgian Waffle served with warm maple syrup, cool whipped cream, and sugar-glazed strawberries, as well as a yogurt parfait and a number of my customary cokes.
The Hispanic barman has a bit of a difficult time understanding my order, but eventually he gets what I desire to eat. All orders in this Admiral's Club restaurant (near Gate D16) are telephoned directly into the kitchen so as to avoid a large amount of waiters / waitresses hustling around and thereby disrupting the quiet atmosphere. While my food is being made, the bartender and I strike up a friendly chat and I have several glasses of Coke.
Sitting at the bar while the barman comes over to take my order.
Perusing over the surprisingly extensive food choices.
It wasn't readily apparent how long I would have to wait to receive my food, so I asked the bartender and he suggested that I get my order "To-Go". While this meant that I wouldn't see any American Airlines cutlery or dishes, it did mean that I could bring my food along with me wherever I decided to spot.
The waffle itself was downright DELICIOUS. It seemed to have "pockets" of vanilla and maple syrup within the batter, and once it was topped with the cool whipped cream and sugar-glazed strawberries, it was pretty much akin to a little slice of heaven. The Parfait was decent as well, just a normal yogurt cup with fresh fruit and granola. Well worth the $12.
Very nice takeout bag, I ended up keeping it.
My breakfast. Note that this is a to-go order, that's why it is all plastic. If you stay in the club, they serve your food with real AA porcelain plates and metal American Airlines-inscribed utensils.
The mediocre view out of the only tarmac view windows in the Gate D16 Admiral's Club at MIA. I still can't decide which livery I like better, I love them both equally! Which is your favorite?
Looking the other way into a large maintenance hangar. I wonder what they're doing over there? Oh, and the livery comparison once again...
After I finished up my meal, I spotted from the only windows to have a view of the tarmac, in the back of the club. This meant that the only views I could see were a bit of the entrance to MIA from I95 and a mediocre selection of AA 738s, so I threw away my trash (except for that awesome bag) and headed down to the terminal to spot and to view my scheduled 763.
Besides an indescribable amount of American Airlines aircraft, MIA is also home to a wide variety of other airlines and rare aircraft. The airport itself is widely known as a decommissioning hub where aircraft spend their last hours before being parted out, transferred, or moved to Opa-Locka Airport (OPL, same acronym as the train station, I believe.) to be scrapped. Thus, a ton of old, decommissioned aircraft were present across the ramp: too many Cargo MD-11s to count, DC-9s of all versions (-40, -50, etc.), Shorts 360s, Beechcraft B1900Ds, Saab 340B+s, DC-10s, the whole nine yards. As for rare aircraft that are still operating bookable airline flights at MIA, a random Venezuelan Airline flies 737-200s and Fokkers into MIA, and various charter operators fly small props as well, such as ExecAir with its only plane, a C182, doing MIA-APF-MIA. It's a wonder I didn't max out my memory card just spotting...
After leaving the club, I spot a flock of colorful Tri-Jets across the ramp!
Upon closer inspection, the red tailed-Tri-Jet appears to be a passenger A/C, although the number two engine is missing! We all know what that means for her...{crying}
A very low load factor in First Class for today's hop up to MCO. There are going to be some happy FFs and nonrevs...
Nearly 20 minutes before my scheduled flight to MCO was ready to board, I headed back up the escalator and into the Gate D16 Admiral's Club for a few last minute soft drinks. The ladies recognize me from before, not even asking me to scan my day pass or show my ID, so I venture inside the Club and slug down a few carbonated beverages, before tipping the bartender quite heavily and returning to Gate D16 after bidding the kind check-in agents goodbye.
Gate D16 is obviously set up for international arrivals, perhaps from South America or who knows where else--there are no windows at all at this gate and you actually have to walk through two cordoned-off rooms to reach the jetway.
Just as I stroll up to the gate, the agent begins her usual spiel over the PA about how full the flight was, how people past zone XYZ won't have any space to place their bags in the overhead bins, and begging people to check their bags (a few people do actually check them). I am beginning to wonder if this "flight is going to be 100% full" announcement is standard corporate lingo no matter what the load factor percentage is. I hear the agent clearing a large crowd of nonrevs into first class, so maybe I am right on that one...
When first class is called to board, I walked up to the Priority AAccess lane, scan my boarding pass, walk through two rooms, and finally I am wandering down the jetway to my ride today, N374AA.
Looks like there's quite a crowd of people down there, I am very thankful to be in First Class.
My ride to and from Orlando today: N374AA, a 22.3 year-old legacy AA 767-323(ER) painted in the "New American" (forgot the actual livery name, sorry) colors in April 2013, but retains the old AA interior.
Boarding N374AA through an internationally-configured gate.
The female purser at the door greets me with a warm smile enthusiastically directs me to my seat.
American Airlines' 763s are set up in a 2-cabin layout, with Business Class, Main Cabin Extra, and Main Cabin seating. The old angle-flat business class seats that remain on the birds that have not yet been refurbished with B.E. Aerospace Contour Sleeper Suites (the same model found in DL BusinessElite cabins on their 763s and 764s) are basically identical to the same J-product used on the internationally-equipped 752s, with a handful of key differences. In the 752 variant, the IFE unit is attached to the seatback, but in the 763, the IFE are individually distributed tablets that are stored in the galley (or in a storage area somewhere within the aircraft). The space where the IFE is in the 752 is actually a storage area with a DC power port. Which brings me to the next difference which is that there are no eMPower ports in any cabin on this aircraft, only DC Power ports. For those not in the know, DC Power ports are the same ports you often see in automobiles that charge your mobile phone (car charger) and are commonly referred to as "cigarette lighters". Flight attendants on these flights do not have any adapters, so you're out of luck if you don't bring one or don't have an adapter at all. (Strangely, AA's 772s do have adapters onboard, and we'll see how well they work when I fly American Airlines Flagship Suites on Saturday, September 20th, 2014.)
Angle-lie-flat seats do in fact recline to be fully flat, but at an upward perpendicular angle to the aircraft floor. For me, this means that trying to rest on a playground slide, always falling off. There is a fold-up leather-covered footrest at the base of the seat that is in theory supposed to prevent people from sliding down, but even with both the seat belt and footrest being utilized dually, it is still extremely difficult for me to sleep at all on such an angled surface, especially since I prefer to sleep face-down.
Notwithstanding that, the seat itself is actually pretty comfortable to lie down in (not to sleep for reasons stated above ), and is upholstered in soft cloth padding rather than the ubiquitous leather which only seems to be spreading throughout airlines worldwide (the only leather surfaces are the winged headrest and the extendable footrest.) The headrest does do a satisfactory job keeping my head in place, and the seat allows you to lower the armrests on either side to increase shoulder space.
The Old American Airlines Business Class seat, soon to be replaced by B.E. Aerospace Contour sleeper suites. Can you spot the hiding Vignelli Associates Eagle logo?
J class cabin during the boarding process.
Pretty much unlimited legroom. Pitch is 60 inches according to SeatGuru, or five feet. Also notice the molecular carpet design, which is unique to AA I believe.
Overhead flight attendant call buttons have been relocated to the armrest as well as audio controls, this bird did not have any overhead "gasper" air vents.
Seat recline controls located at the end of the armrest / tray table stowage compartment.
Tray table and storage area, with the DC power port in the top left. Note also the pattern of lines making up tiny squares on the walls, this pattern seems to be unique to American Airlines as well.
The second portion of the tray table folds out of the armrest (near the recline controls) and joins up with the seat back tray table to form one large dining / working surface.
"Car Charger" or "Cigarette Lighter" DC Power port.
An inconspicuous headphone jack located underneath the left-side armrest.
I found the hidden eagle "nesting" behind the seat! Too bad this fun logo will be gone soon enough...strange that this bird has Vignelli Associates Eagle logos on the inside, and the "New American" livery painted on the outside fuselage.
Jolie (pronounced HO-LEE as she is of Hispanic descent) is the senior purser serving first class (business class is referred to as "First Class" on any domestic routing on an aircraft on with J, Y+, and Y. On a three-class bird, such as the 772 I'll be taking up to LAX and back to MIA in Flagship Suites First Class on Saturday on this flight, the First Class and Business Class cabins are treated and sold as separate cabins.), and is clearly very enthusiastic about her job. Throughout the flight, she tries her very best to impress us and cater to our every need (well not EVERY need, but you know.... ).
Before the Y-class passengers begin filing down into the coach cabin, Jolie begins serving a selection Pre-Departure Beverages (PDBs). Perhaps due to the size of the aircraft, the large amount of J-class seats, and the short flying time, only Fresh Florida Orange Juice and water are offered on the ground. I agree with this policy, she wouldn't have enough time to serve every one of the thirty J-class passengers without missing someone.
Pre-Departure Beverage of Fresh Florida Orange Juice with the "New American" branding.
Duty Free Shopping Magzaine, but no Sky Mall. Between this and the OJ PDB, I could have swore I was almost on an international flight.
I really hope this scheme makes it to the Super 80s (MD-80s), but according to a lot of American Airlines "insiders" we probably won't see it happen.
Across the page, the US fleet lists the Boeing 737-400, but this aircraft isn't even in service anymore after this year (and so I saved five copies of this issue of American Way )
At about 2:00 PM EST, almost a full five minutes from departure, the captain comes onto the Passenger Address (PA) system and introduces himself and the entire flight crew by name: "...Welcome to American Airlines flight 1525 with nonstop service Orlandooooooohhhh (yes, that's the way he said it). I am your captain, Brian, joined upfront in the cockpit by first officer Roger, our head purser on this flight in the First Class cabin is Jolie..."
He announced our flying time as only 37 minutes airborne enroute to MCO, and the "AA reminder" videos began playing. Unlike DL, UA, and US, AA actually has reminder videos for every phase of their flights, not just a sole safety video during pushback and taxi. Boarding, carry-ons and overhead bins, taking off, safety procedures, cruise, about to land, taxiing to the gate, and deplaning all have their own videos. Though flight attendants are supposed to supplement the videos with human announcements, sometimes they don't, but Jolie did it every time on this flight. Right at about 2:03, the sound of the main cabin door closing shut (BAM!) pierced my ears and the safety demo started playing as we pushed back, started our engines, and taxied out of the stand.
We had a rather quick taxi out to Runway 8R, stopping a couple of times to let a random aircraft take off or taxi by us, but other than that we had a fast drive down to the takeoff strip, not even stopping before the captain gunned the two GE CF6-80C2B6 high-bypass turbofans, which surprisingly pushed me back into my seat more than an equivalent 752 Roll's Royce RB.211 takeoff ( http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/253053 )! I was surprised when we lifted off as it seemed we did not even use up half of the runway!
Once we cleared the airport itself, we flew directly over downtown Miami when suddenly I saw a 738 way too close for comfort, and our flight crew banked us hard to the left to avoid him. It seemed that ATC must have filed us a flight path too close to the rapid takeoffs and arrivals of the very heavily utilized runways 8L and 8R, or maybe it was just the customary turn that all South Florida flights perform after overflying the Atlantic Ocean for a small amount of time.
Though there were some medium-thickness clouds around our route straight up to Orlando, the captain didn't bother flying around them. They were no match for our highly laden 763, and we just plowed right through them at 300+ KIAS with little to no turbulence. We reached our low cruising altitude halfway over Lake Okachobee, which is the plainly visible hole on maps of Florida.
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Takeoff from Miami International Airport (MIA) VIDEO
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Climbout from Miami International Airport (MIA) VIDEO
The main cargo door closes as the ramper pulls away that interesting-looking vehicle--wish I knew its name...
Pushback and a fellow Boeing brethren who hasn't received a new coat of paint yet.
The safety demo is played throughout the cabin on loudspeakers linked to overhead screens.
Taxiing out to Runway 8L.
A rare airworthy passenger Shorts 360! I wonder if Skyway has been threatened by the nearby American Airlines for that livery? :-D
A huge fleet of Saabs on the satellite of ramp. Anyone know who this flock of props belongs to?
Turning onto the runway, but just what is that huge shark fin sticking out of the engine?
Takeoff.
Climbing out of MIA and over downtown Miami!
Intercepting Hollywood, Florida as we fly back over the Floridian mainland.
Climbing to cruise just before we intercept Lake Okeechobee.
Cabin during climb to cruise.
Cruise. We only flew at this altitude for five minutes before beginning our descent.
For the short time in which we were at cruise altitude, Jolie served all the passengers their beverages of choice as opposed to the two-beverage selection on the ground, plus a small bag of "Sweet 'N Savory" snack mix which is surprisingly good. We only remained at our assigned cruising altitude for about five minutes or until we were at the middle of Lake Okachobee, before I physically felt the aircraft descending and we made a U-turn approach into MCO, plunking down hard on the far west runway and taxiing in for an early arrival time.
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Landing at Orlando International Airport VIDEO
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Taxiing into Gate A17 at Orlando International Airport VIDEO
Cabin during the very short cruise period. The overhead TVs were playing random wildlife scenes, waterfalls, and ocean waves on loop to the tune of soft piano interpretations of greatest hits songs in slow tempo--very nice and relaxing.
The inflight service in First Class starts with a simple packet of snack mix...
...followed by an ice cold glass of Coca Cola with a very inconspicuous "New American" Eagle logo on the glass. (Note: these two photos are used from the inbound MCO-MIA leg, unfortunately my camera somehow corrupted some of my images, but it doesn't matter because I ordered the same thing in flight on both legs.)
The flight crew lowers the slats as we slow down on approach.
Vectoring to final, note that fantastic wing flex!
Making the final 180-degree turn to line up with the furthest west runway at MCO.
Final, with downtown Orlando in the distance.
Very, very short final with drooping slats hanging off the leading edge of the wing.
Almost there.......
We slam hard down onto the pavement as we TOUCHDOWN!
Spoilers deploy and reverse thrust engages as the airplane detects our wheel roll-out.
Slowing down. Note the hangar in the top left corner of the image which was a former Continental MX base, and the sign was still up as of a few weeks ago, as seen in this report: http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/257120 , but now all it says is "tal *Globe image here*"
Hey! A Saab! Deja Vu? http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/257120
Pulling into Airside A, specifically gate A17, at Orlando International Airport.
As I walked out of the Business Class cabin, I walked up to Jolie and requested a cockpit visit which was quickly granted. Strangely, I walk right into the cockpit without either of the pilots knowing, but they don't even seem to care and are only welcoming towards myself and my aviation hobby. I inquire about the difference between the 763s performance and the 752 equivalent, and both aviators agree that the 763 is indeed more fun to fly, alluding it to be a fast, highly-maneuverable aircraft because of the dual inboard and outboard ailerons. I tell them that I plan to attend ERAU as I walk out the door, and I overhear them joking "One day this guy will be designing our airplanes!" Always good to have a lighthearted crew!
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ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MCO / KMCO)
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I deplaned into MCO rather quickly, but I didn't go beyond the gate area of Alpha Seventeen. Since I had low battery power on all my devices, I found an outlet on one of the columns in the boarding area before packing up my laptop, camera, and iPhone 5S about another thirty minutes before boarding. Much to my surprise and delight, the first officer from AA 1525 comes up to me and answers all my questions, then proceeds to ask me a lot about myself! Now if only my teachers could teach me the way this guy does...
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- Airline: American Airlines
- Airline IATA Code: IATA Code # AA
- Airline IACO Code: IACO Code # AAL
- Airline Callsign: Radio Callsign AMERICAN
- Airline Flight Number: # AA 1525
- Aircraft / Equipment Used for Flight : Boeing 767-323(ER)
- Aircraft / Equipment Registration: Registration # N374AA
- Airline Aircraft / Equipment Fleet Number: # 374
- Aircraft / Equipment Nationality: United States of America - FAA - Registered A/C / Equipment
- Aircraft Manufacturer: The Boeing Company
- Aircraft Sub - Manufacturer: Boeing Commercial Airplanes Division
- Aircraft's First Flight: June 3rd, 1992
- Aircraft's Age as of Date of Flight: 22.3 Years Old as of September 14th, 2104
- Aircraft Test Registration: Test Registration N374AA
- Aircraft Config: C30Y195
- Total Number of Passenger Seats: 225 Seats
- Aircraft Construction Number (MSN) : # 25201
- Aircraft Line Number: # 437
- Aircraft Delivery Date: June 17th, 1992
- Aircraft Powerplant (s) : 2x GE CF6-80C2B6
- Aircraft Owned by / Leased from: OWNED BY American Airlines Group
- Cabin: Business Class (Sold as First Class)
- Fare Class: F (Full Fare Flexible / Refundable First Class)
- Meal: Beverage / Snack Service
- Seat Assignment: Seat # 5J, Window Seat, Business Class (Sold as First Class)
- Row Assignment: Row # 5, Business Class (Sold as First Class)
- A/C Equipped with IFE: Yes, PTV System
- A/C Equipped with Wi-Fi Wireless Internet Access: No
- Airline Frequent Flier Program: AAdvantage
- Miles / Rewards / Points Earned: 750 AAdvantage Miles, 1 AAdvantage Segment
- Airline Flight Date: September 14th, 2014
- Boarding Call Time: 1:35 PM EST, September 14th, 2014
- Boarding Zone: Boarding Zone # 1, Priority AAccess
- Departure Time: 2:05 PM EST, September 14th, 2014
- Departure Gate / Jetway: Gate / Jetway D14, Concourse D, Terminal 1, KMIA (Miami - International Airport / Wilcox Field / 36th Street / Pan American Field)
- Arrival Time: 3:12 PM EST, September 14th, 2014
- Arrival Gate / Jetway: Gate / Jetway A17, Concourse A, Terminal A, KMCO (Orlando International Airport - McCoy)
- Time Aloft: 1 hours 7 minutes (67 minutes)
- Filed Speed: 214 KIAS
- Filed Cruising Altitude: 19,000 feet
- Flight Distance: Direct: 193 SM | Planned: 233 SM | Flown: 351 SM
- Routing Waypoint (s) : HEDLY1 HEDLY J53 PHK BAIRN3
- Fare Cost: $577.62 USD (Full Fare Refundable / Flexible First Class = $434.88 USD + Taxes & Carrier-Imposed Fees = $43.92 USD + Allianz Travel Insurance = $30.00 USD + American Airlines Admiral's Club One Day Pass = $50.00 USD + AAdvantage Mileage Multiplier = $18.82 USD = $577.82 USD Total)
FLIGHT DATA SOURCE (S) :
1. Planespotter.Net Airline Data
2. Planespotter.Net Airframe Data
3. FlightAware Live Flight Tracking Data
4. Airline Fleet Data
5. Airline General Class of Service Info
6. Airline Aircraft Specific Data / Onboard Product / Amenities
7. Airline Onboard Dining /Cuisine Data
8. Airline Onboard Beverage Selection Data
9. Airline Seat Map Data
10. SeatGuru Seat Map Data
FlightAware for this flight. Copyright FlightAware © 2014
Not having any time to spare, at about 11:55A AM EST, I ran into the baggage claim, desperately looking for a way to access the upper level ticketing / checkin hall. After asking a Cuban Coffee stall server, I am running to the nearest elevator....in dress shoes (as I said earlier, I dressed up for the flight with black trousers, a button down shirt, and dress shoes), just barely catching a ride before the doors slammed shut.
Inside the elevator, a couple who wasn't quite old enough to be elderly but not young enough to be middle age did not seem to pleased to be sharing the elevator with such a young "whippersnapper". They stared at me and pointed at one of the elevator buttons, murmuring incomprehensible phrases before becoming outwardly irate and just pushing the button themselves. As I exited the elevator with them walking out behind me, I overhead the husband saying "there's a whole generation just like him" (WHAT? I didn't even understand what you said?). Flared up by this man's ignorant comments, I was tempted to do a 180 degree turn and fire back, "Guess which generation raised us!?" but I remember the manners my VERY traditional manners my parents taught me, refraining from engaging him.
After I printed my receipt-paper boarding passes at the kiosk (and adding on 3,000 AAdvantage account miles for only $30
), I head over to the MIA Concourse D security checkpoint and went through the usual TSA rituals before entering the airside.Heading over to the Priority AAccess desks and kiosks to print out my boarding passes.
Printing out boarding passes at the Priority AAccess carry-on-only kiosks.
AA reminds me of my flight's gate assignment, the most useful feature I've seen a kiosk perform IMO.
While waiting in the Priority AAcess Security lane, I spotted the Flagship First Class Check in "room". I'll be in there on Saturday. {hyper}
MIA is much more modern than FLL, and is much more spacious as well. High ceilings create a general feeling of substantial spaciousness. Between the various lengths of terminal are very large skylights, even higher than the normal ceilings, with each containing a unique "luxury good advertisement", for example, there was a Lincoln Towncar parked in the center of one skylight. With the tall ceilings, the sheer amount of retail and dining venues, and the omnipresent could easily be mistaken for a high - class shopping mall or hotel.
Instead of taking the MIA Mover (The Bombardier APM-100 train that links all of the terminals at Miami International Airport) over to the Admiral's Club, I decided to traverse the good old fashioned way: walking! My stroll over to the clubroom was actually quite enjoyable, since I was unable to explore MIA "in-depth" the last time I was here on may 17th: http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/253053
Eventually, I find my way to the entrance escalator, check-in with the agents at the top (and receive souvenir cardstock boarding passes / receipt), and make my way into the lounge itself.
Airside at MIA, walking to the Admiral's Club.
Entering the club.
Initially I was confused, as the Admiral's Club appeared to have no walls! However, the agent told me that what is pictured above is an overflow area, and I turn around and see...
The entrance!
(I sincerely apologize for the blurriness)Checking in.
The American Airlines Admiral's Club is comparable to the overall offerings of the US Airways Club, the Delta Sky Club, and the United Club. One-Day Passes are available for $50 USD (which is how I was granted admittance), offered food is usually munchies, junk food, and snacks, there is a bar, free Wi-FI Wireless Broadband internet, and other such amenities typical of United States-based airlines' airport lounges.
Entering the Club.
The main "Grand Hall" seating area.
Usual United States-based airline lounge hamster food - cookies, snack mixes, complimentary beverages, fruit, and vegetables.
One thing that sets AA apart in this regard, though, is that most of their lounges within their hub airports have an actual sit-down restaurant within the club itself (Delta does this as well at one of the Sky Clubs in JFK I believe, but I'm unsure of whether they do this anywhere else besides New York). There are complimentary light snacks just like every other United States-based airline lounge, including fresh-baked cookies, fruit, vegetables, and snack mixes. But the REAL food in the inter-club restaurant isn't free.
I don't understand why, but American Airlines has been harshly criticized for not making the food in the eatery free. I don't agree with those critics at all. For one thing, it's good that the restaurant exists at all, I'd definitely prefer a surcharged dining venue rather than have only hamster food. Secondly, I doubt American Airlines could afford to keep the various prices of admittance down AND keep the wide extent of the restaurant's menu if they made the food free. The menu itself is actually pretty extensive, here are scans from the menu that the bartender let me keep:
Scans of all four menu pages.
Since I didn't have any breakfast, I take a seat at the bar (generating strange looks from the other adults in the bar-chairs surrounding me all the while) and explored the menu, eventually settling on a Vanilla Belgian Waffle served with warm maple syrup, cool whipped cream, and sugar-glazed strawberries, as well as a yogurt parfait and a number of my customary cokes.
The Hispanic barman has a bit of a difficult time understanding my order, but eventually he gets what I desire to eat. All orders in this Admiral's Club restaurant (near Gate D16) are telephoned directly into the kitchen so as to avoid a large amount of waiters / waitresses hustling around and thereby disrupting the quiet atmosphere. While my food is being made, the bartender and I strike up a friendly chat and I have several glasses of Coke.
Sitting at the bar while the barman comes over to take my order.
Perusing over the surprisingly extensive food choices.
It wasn't readily apparent how long I would have to wait to receive my food, so I asked the bartender and he suggested that I get my order "To-Go". While this meant that I wouldn't see any American Airlines cutlery or dishes, it did mean that I could bring my food along with me wherever I decided to spot.
The waffle itself was downright DELICIOUS. It seemed to have "pockets" of vanilla and maple syrup within the batter, and once it was topped with the cool whipped cream and sugar-glazed strawberries, it was pretty much akin to a little slice of heaven. The Parfait was decent as well, just a normal yogurt cup with fresh fruit and granola. Well worth the $12.
Very nice takeout bag, I ended up keeping it.
My breakfast. Note that this is a to-go order, that's why it is all plastic. If you stay in the club, they serve your food with real AA porcelain plates and metal American Airlines-inscribed utensils.
The mediocre view out of the only tarmac view windows in the Gate D16 Admiral's Club at MIA. I still can't decide which livery I like better, I love them both equally!
Which is your favorite?Looking the other way into a large maintenance hangar. I wonder what they're doing over there? Oh, and the livery comparison once again...
After I finished up my meal, I spotted from the only windows to have a view of the tarmac, in the back of the club. This meant that the only views I could see were a bit of the entrance to MIA from I95 and a mediocre selection of AA 738s, so I threw away my trash (except for that awesome bag) and headed down to the terminal to spot and to view my scheduled 763.
Besides an indescribable amount of American Airlines aircraft, MIA is also home to a wide variety of other airlines and rare aircraft. The airport itself is widely known as a decommissioning hub where aircraft spend their last hours before being parted out, transferred, or moved to Opa-Locka Airport (OPL, same acronym as the train station, I believe.) to be scrapped. Thus, a ton of old, decommissioned aircraft were present across the ramp: too many Cargo MD-11s to count, DC-9s of all versions (-40, -50, etc.), Shorts 360s, Beechcraft B1900Ds, Saab 340B+s, DC-10s, the whole nine yards. As for rare aircraft that are still operating bookable airline flights at MIA, a random Venezuelan Airline flies 737-200s and Fokkers into MIA, and various charter operators fly small props as well, such as ExecAir with its only plane, a C182, doing MIA-APF-MIA. It's a wonder I didn't max out my memory card just spotting...
After leaving the club, I spot a flock of colorful Tri-Jets across the ramp!
Upon closer inspection, the red tailed-Tri-Jet appears to be a passenger A/C, although the number two engine is missing! We all know what that means for her...{crying}
A very low load factor in First Class for today's hop up to MCO. There are going to be some happy FFs and nonrevs...
Nearly 20 minutes before my scheduled flight to MCO was ready to board, I headed back up the escalator and into the Gate D16 Admiral's Club for a few last minute soft drinks. The ladies recognize me from before, not even asking me to scan my day pass or show my ID, so I venture inside the Club and slug down a few carbonated beverages, before tipping the bartender quite heavily and returning to Gate D16 after bidding the kind check-in agents goodbye.
Gate D16 is obviously set up for international arrivals, perhaps from South America or who knows where else--there are no windows at all at this gate and you actually have to walk through two cordoned-off rooms to reach the jetway.
Just as I stroll up to the gate, the agent begins her usual spiel over the PA about how full the flight was, how people past zone XYZ won't have any space to place their bags in the overhead bins, and begging people to check their bags (a few people do actually check them). I am beginning to wonder if this "flight is going to be 100% full" announcement is standard corporate lingo no matter what the load factor percentage is. I hear the agent clearing a large crowd of nonrevs into first class, so maybe I am right on that one...
When first class is called to board, I walked up to the Priority AAccess lane, scan my boarding pass, walk through two rooms, and finally I am wandering down the jetway to my ride today, N374AA.
Looks like there's quite a crowd of people down there, I am very thankful to be in First Class.
My ride to and from Orlando today: N374AA, a 22.3 year-old legacy AA 767-323(ER) painted in the "New American" (forgot the actual livery name, sorry) colors in April 2013, but retains the old AA interior.
Boarding N374AA through an internationally-configured gate.
The female purser at the door greets me with a warm smile enthusiastically directs me to my seat.
American Airlines' 763s are set up in a 2-cabin layout, with Business Class, Main Cabin Extra, and Main Cabin seating. The old angle-flat business class seats that remain on the birds that have not yet been refurbished with B.E. Aerospace Contour Sleeper Suites (the same model found in DL BusinessElite cabins on their 763s and 764s) are basically identical to the same J-product used on the internationally-equipped 752s, with a handful of key differences. In the 752 variant, the IFE unit is attached to the seatback, but in the 763, the IFE are individually distributed tablets that are stored in the galley (or in a storage area somewhere within the aircraft). The space where the IFE is in the 752 is actually a storage area with a DC power port. Which brings me to the next difference which is that there are no eMPower ports in any cabin on this aircraft, only DC Power ports. For those not in the know, DC Power ports are the same ports you often see in automobiles that charge your mobile phone (car charger) and are commonly referred to as "cigarette lighters". Flight attendants on these flights do not have any adapters, so you're out of luck if you don't bring one or don't have an adapter at all. (Strangely, AA's 772s do have adapters onboard, and we'll see how well they work when I fly American Airlines Flagship Suites on Saturday, September 20th, 2014.)
Angle-lie-flat seats do in fact recline to be fully flat, but at an upward perpendicular angle to the aircraft floor. For me, this means that trying to rest on a playground slide, always falling off. There is a fold-up leather-covered footrest at the base of the seat that is in theory supposed to prevent people from sliding down, but even with both the seat belt and footrest being utilized dually, it is still extremely difficult for me to sleep at all on such an angled surface, especially since I prefer to sleep face-down.
Notwithstanding that, the seat itself is actually pretty comfortable to lie down in (not to sleep for reasons stated above
), and is upholstered in soft cloth padding rather than the ubiquitous leather which only seems to be spreading throughout airlines worldwide (the only leather surfaces are the winged headrest and the extendable footrest.) The headrest does do a satisfactory job keeping my head in place, and the seat allows you to lower the armrests on either side to increase shoulder space.The Old American Airlines Business Class seat, soon to be replaced by B.E. Aerospace Contour sleeper suites. Can you spot the hiding Vignelli Associates Eagle logo?
J class cabin during the boarding process.
Pretty much unlimited legroom. Pitch is 60 inches according to SeatGuru, or five feet.
Also notice the molecular carpet design, which is unique to AA I believe.Overhead flight attendant call buttons have been relocated to the armrest as well as audio controls, this bird did not have any overhead "gasper" air vents.
Seat recline controls located at the end of the armrest / tray table stowage compartment.
Tray table and storage area, with the DC power port in the top left. Note also the pattern of lines making up tiny squares on the walls, this pattern seems to be unique to American Airlines as well.
The second portion of the tray table folds out of the armrest (near the recline controls) and joins up with the seat back tray table to form one large dining / working surface.
"Car Charger" or "Cigarette Lighter" DC Power port.
An inconspicuous headphone jack located underneath the left-side armrest.
I found the hidden eagle "nesting" behind the seat!
Too bad this fun logo will be gone soon enough...strange that this bird has Vignelli Associates Eagle logos on the inside, and the "New American" livery painted on the outside fuselage.Jolie (pronounced HO-LEE as she is of Hispanic descent) is the senior purser serving first class (business class is referred to as "First Class" on any domestic routing on an aircraft on with J, Y+, and Y. On a three-class bird, such as the 772 I'll be taking up to LAX and back to MIA in Flagship Suites First Class on Saturday on this flight, the First Class and Business Class cabins are treated and sold as separate cabins.), and is clearly very enthusiastic about her job. Throughout the flight, she tries her very best to impress us and cater to our every need (well not EVERY need, but you know....
).Before the Y-class passengers begin filing down into the coach cabin, Jolie begins serving a selection Pre-Departure Beverages (PDBs). Perhaps due to the size of the aircraft, the large amount of J-class seats, and the short flying time, only Fresh Florida Orange Juice and water are offered on the ground. I agree with this policy, she wouldn't have enough time to serve every one of the thirty J-class passengers without missing someone.
Pre-Departure Beverage of Fresh Florida Orange Juice with the "New American" branding.
Duty Free Shopping Magzaine, but no Sky Mall. Between this and the OJ PDB, I could have swore I was almost on an international flight.
I really hope this scheme makes it to the Super 80s (MD-80s), but according to a lot of American Airlines "insiders" we probably won't see it happen.
Across the page, the US fleet lists the Boeing 737-400, but this aircraft isn't even in service anymore after this year (and so I saved five copies of this issue of American Way
)At about 2:00 PM EST, almost a full five minutes from departure, the captain comes onto the Passenger Address (PA) system and introduces himself and the entire flight crew by name: "...Welcome to American Airlines flight 1525 with nonstop service Orlandooooooohhhh (yes, that's the way he said it
). I am your captain, Brian, joined upfront in the cockpit by first officer Roger, our head purser on this flight in the First Class cabin is Jolie..."He announced our flying time as only 37 minutes airborne enroute to MCO, and the "AA reminder" videos began playing. Unlike DL, UA, and US, AA actually has reminder videos for every phase of their flights, not just a sole safety video during pushback and taxi. Boarding, carry-ons and overhead bins, taking off, safety procedures, cruise, about to land, taxiing to the gate, and deplaning all have their own videos. Though flight attendants are supposed to supplement the videos with human announcements, sometimes they don't, but Jolie did it every time on this flight. Right at about 2:03, the sound of the main cabin door closing shut (BAM!) pierced my ears and the safety demo started playing as we pushed back, started our engines, and taxied out of the stand.
We had a rather quick taxi out to Runway 8R, stopping a couple of times to let a random aircraft take off or taxi by us, but other than that we had a fast drive down to the takeoff strip, not even stopping before the captain gunned the two GE CF6-80C2B6 high-bypass turbofans, which surprisingly pushed me back into my seat more than an equivalent 752 Roll's Royce RB.211 takeoff ( http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/253053 )! I was surprised when we lifted off as it seemed we did not even use up half of the runway!
Once we cleared the airport itself, we flew directly over downtown Miami when suddenly I saw a 738 way too close for comfort, and our flight crew banked us hard to the left to avoid him. It seemed that ATC must have filed us a flight path too close to the rapid takeoffs and arrivals of the very heavily utilized runways 8L and 8R, or maybe it was just the customary turn that all South Florida flights perform after overflying the Atlantic Ocean for a small amount of time.
Though there were some medium-thickness clouds around our route straight up to Orlando, the captain didn't bother flying around them. They were no match for our highly laden 763, and we just plowed right through them at 300+ KIAS with little to no turbulence. We reached our low cruising altitude halfway over Lake Okachobee, which is the plainly visible hole on maps of Florida.
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Takeoff from Miami International Airport (MIA) VIDEO
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Climbout from Miami International Airport (MIA) VIDEO
The main cargo door closes as the ramper pulls away that interesting-looking vehicle--wish I knew its name...
Pushback and a fellow Boeing brethren who hasn't received a new coat of paint yet.
The safety demo is played throughout the cabin on loudspeakers linked to overhead screens.
Taxiing out to Runway 8L.
A rare airworthy passenger Shorts 360! I wonder if Skyway has been threatened by the nearby American Airlines for that livery? :-D
A huge fleet of Saabs on the satellite of ramp. Anyone know who this flock of props belongs to?
Turning onto the runway, but just what is that huge shark fin sticking out of the engine?
Takeoff.
Climbing out of MIA and over downtown Miami!
Intercepting Hollywood, Florida as we fly back over the Floridian mainland.
Climbing to cruise just before we intercept Lake Okeechobee.
Cabin during climb to cruise.
Cruise. We only flew at this altitude for five minutes before beginning our descent.
For the short time in which we were at cruise altitude, Jolie served all the passengers their beverages of choice as opposed to the two-beverage selection on the ground, plus a small bag of "Sweet 'N Savory" snack mix which is surprisingly good. We only remained at our assigned cruising altitude for about five minutes or until we were at the middle of Lake Okachobee, before I physically felt the aircraft descending and we made a U-turn approach into MCO, plunking down hard on the far west runway and taxiing in for an early arrival time.
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Landing at Orlando International Airport VIDEO
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Taxiing into Gate A17 at Orlando International Airport VIDEO
Cabin during the very short cruise period. The overhead TVs were playing random wildlife scenes, waterfalls, and ocean waves on loop to the tune of soft piano interpretations of greatest hits songs in slow tempo--very nice and relaxing.
The inflight service in First Class starts with a simple packet of snack mix...
...followed by an ice cold glass of Coca Cola with a very inconspicuous "New American" Eagle logo on the glass. (Note: these two photos are used from the inbound MCO-MIA leg, unfortunately my camera somehow corrupted some of my images, but it doesn't matter because I ordered the same thing in flight on both legs.)
The flight crew lowers the slats as we slow down on approach.
Vectoring to final, note that fantastic wing flex!
Making the final 180-degree turn to line up with the furthest west runway at MCO.
Final, with downtown Orlando in the distance.
Very, very short final with drooping slats hanging off the leading edge of the wing.
Almost there.......
We slam hard down onto the pavement as we TOUCHDOWN!
Spoilers deploy and reverse thrust engages as the airplane detects our wheel roll-out.
Slowing down. Note the hangar in the top left corner of the image which was a former Continental MX base, and the sign was still up as of a few weeks ago, as seen in this report: http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/257120 , but now all it says is "tal *Globe image here*"
Hey! A Saab! Deja Vu? http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/257120
Pulling into Airside A, specifically gate A17, at Orlando International Airport.
As I walked out of the Business Class cabin, I walked up to Jolie and requested a cockpit visit which was quickly granted. Strangely, I walk right into the cockpit without either of the pilots knowing, but they don't even seem to care and are only welcoming towards myself and my aviation hobby. I inquire about the difference between the 763s performance and the 752 equivalent, and both aviators agree that the 763 is indeed more fun to fly, alluding it to be a fast, highly-maneuverable aircraft because of the dual inboard and outboard ailerons. I tell them that I plan to attend ERAU as I walk out the door, and I overhear them joking "One day this guy will be designing our airplanes!" Always good to have a lighthearted crew!
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ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MCO / KMCO)
---
I deplaned into MCO rather quickly, but I didn't go beyond the gate area of Alpha Seventeen. Since I had low battery power on all my devices, I found an outlet on one of the columns in the boarding area before packing up my laptop, camera, and iPhone 5S about another thirty minutes before boarding. Much to my surprise and delight, the first officer from AA 1525 comes up to me and answers all my questions, then proceeds to ask me a lot about myself! Now if only my teachers could teach me the way this guy does...
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Sep 17, 2014, 1:55 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Programs: IAMAW Local 368/HAL 2 Star Mariner
Posts: 740
KMIA (Miami - International Airport / Wilcox Field / 36th Street / Pan American Field) - KMCO (Orlando International Airport - McCoy)
FLIGHT DATA SOURCE (S) :
1. Planespotter.Net Airline Data
2. Planespotter.Net Airframe Data
3. FlightAware Live Flight Tracking Data
4. Airline Fleet Data
5. Airline General Class of Service Info
6. Airline Aircraft Specific Data / Onboard Product / Amenities
7. Airline Onboard Dining /Cuisine Data
8. Airline Onboard Beverage Selection Data
9. Airline Seat Map Data
10. SeatGuru Seat Map Data
FlightAware for this flight. Copyright FlightAware © 2014
Not having any time to spare, at about 11:55A AM EST, I ran into the baggage claim, desperately looking for a way to access the upper level ticketing / checkin hall. After asking a Cuban Coffee stall server, I am running to the nearest elevator....in dress shoes (as I said earlier, I dressed up for the flight with black trousers, a button down shirt, and dress shoes), just barely catching a ride before the doors slammed shut.
Inside the elevator, a couple who wasn't quite old enough to be elderly but not young enough to be middle age did not seem to pleased to be sharing the elevator with such a young "whippersnapper". They stared at me and pointed at one of the elevator buttons, murmuring incomprehensible phrases before becoming outwardly irate and just pushing the button themselves. As I exited the elevator with them walking out behind me, I overhead the husband saying "there's a whole generation just like him" (WHAT? I didn't even understand what you said?). Flared up by this man's ignorant comments, I was tempted to do a 180 degree turn and fire back, "Guess which generation raised us!?" but I remember the manners my VERY traditional manners my parents taught me, refraining from engaging him.
After I printed my receipt-paper boarding passes at the kiosk (and adding on 3,000 AAdvantage account miles for only $30 ), I head over to the MIA Concourse D security checkpoint and went through the usual TSA rituals before entering the airside.
Heading over to the Priority AAccess desks and kiosks to print out my boarding passes.
Printing out boarding passes at the Priority AAccess carry-on-only kiosks.
AA reminds me of my flight's gate assignment, the most useful feature I've seen a kiosk perform IMO.
While waiting in the Priority AAcess Security lane, I spotted the Flagship First Class Check in "room". I'll be in there on Saturday. {hyper}
MIA is much more modern than FLL, and is much more spacious as well. High ceilings create a general feeling of substantial spaciousness. Between the various lengths of terminal are very large skylights, even higher than the normal ceilings, with each containing a unique "luxury good advertisement", for example, there was a Lincoln Towncar parked in the center of one skylight. With the tall ceilings, the sheer amount of retail and dining venues, and the omnipresent could easily be mistaken for a high - class shopping mall or hotel.
Instead of taking the MIA Mover (The Bombardier APM-100 train that links all of the terminals at Miami International Airport) over to the Admiral's Club, I decided to traverse the good old fashioned way: walking! My stroll over to the clubroom was actually quite enjoyable, since I was unable to explore MIA "in-depth" the last time I was here on may 17th: http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/253053
Eventually, I find my way to the entrance escalator, check-in with the agents at the top (and receive souvenir cardstock boarding passes / receipt), and make my way into the lounge itself.
Airside at MIA, walking to the Admiral's Club.
Entering the club.
Initially I was confused, as the Admiral's Club appeared to have no walls! However, the agent told me that what is pictured above is an overflow area, and I turn around and see...
The entrance! (I sincerely apologize for the blurriness)
Checking in.
The American Airlines Admiral's Club is comparable to the overall offerings of the US Airways Club, the Delta Sky Club, and the United Club. One-Day Passes are available for $50 USD (which is how I was granted admittance), offered food is usually munchies, junk food, and snacks, there is a bar, free Wi-FI Wireless Broadband internet, and other such amenities typical of United States-based airlines' airport lounges.
Entering the Club.
The main "Grand Hall" seating area.
Usual United States-based airline lounge hamster food - cookies, snack mixes, complimentary beverages, fruit, and vegetables.
One thing that sets AA apart in this regard, though, is that most of their lounges within their hub airports have an actual sit-down restaurant within the club itself (Delta does this as well at one of the Sky Clubs in JFK I believe, but I'm unsure of whether they do this anywhere else besides New York). There are complimentary light snacks just like every other United States-based airline lounge, including fresh-baked cookies, fruit, vegetables, and snack mixes. But the REAL food in the inter-club restaurant isn't free.
I don't understand why, but American Airlines has been harshly criticized for not making the food in the eatery free. I don't agree with those critics at all. For one thing, it's good that the restaurant exists at all, I'd definitely prefer a surcharged dining venue rather than have only hamster food. Secondly, I doubt American Airlines could afford to keep the various prices of admittance down AND keep the wide extent of the restaurant's menu if they made the food free. The menu itself is actually pretty extensive, here are scans from the menu that the bartender let me keep:
Scans of all four menu pages.
Since I didn't have any breakfast, I take a seat at the bar (generating strange looks from the other adults in the bar-chairs surrounding me all the while) and explored the menu, eventually settling on a Vanilla Belgian Waffle served with warm maple syrup, cool whipped cream, and sugar-glazed strawberries, as well as a yogurt parfait and a number of my customary cokes.
The Hispanic barman has a bit of a difficult time understanding my order, but eventually he gets what I desire to eat. All orders in this Admiral's Club restaurant (near Gate D16) are telephoned directly into the kitchen so as to avoid a large amount of waiters / waitresses hustling around and thereby disrupting the quiet atmosphere. While my food is being made, the bartender and I strike up a friendly chat and I have several glasses of Coke.
Sitting at the bar while the barman comes over to take my order.
Perusing over the surprisingly extensive food choices.
It wasn't readily apparent how long I would have to wait to receive my food, so I asked the bartender and he suggested that I get my order "To-Go". While this meant that I wouldn't see any American Airlines cutlery or dishes, it did mean that I could bring my food along with me wherever I decided to spot.
The waffle itself was downright DELICIOUS. It seemed to have "pockets" of vanilla and maple syrup within the batter, and once it was topped with the cool whipped cream and sugar-glazed strawberries, it was pretty much akin to a little slice of heaven. The Parfait was decent as well, just a normal yogurt cup with fresh fruit and granola. Well worth the $12.
Very nice takeout bag, I ended up keeping it.
My breakfast. Note that this is a to-go order, that's why it is all plastic. If you stay in the club, they serve your food with real AA porcelain plates and metal American Airlines-inscribed utensils.
The mediocre view out of the only tarmac view windows in the Gate D16 Admiral's Club at MIA. I still can't decide which livery I like better, I love them both equally! Which is your favorite?
Looking the other way into a large maintenance hangar. I wonder what they're doing over there? Oh, and the livery comparison once again...
After I finished up my meal, I spotted from the only windows to have a view of the tarmac, in the back of the club. This meant that the only views I could see were a bit of the entrance to MIA from I95 and a mediocre selection of AA 738s, so I threw away my trash (except for that awesome bag) and headed down to the terminal to spot and to view my scheduled 763.
Besides an indescribable amount of American Airlines aircraft, MIA is also home to a wide variety of other airlines and rare aircraft. The airport itself is widely known as a decommissioning hub where aircraft spend their last hours before being parted out, transferred, or moved to Opa-Locka Airport (OPL, same acronym as the train station, I believe.) to be scrapped. Thus, a ton of old, decommissioned aircraft were present across the ramp: too many Cargo MD-11s to count, DC-9s of all versions (-40, -50, etc.), Shorts 360s, Beechcraft B1900Ds, Saab 340B+s, DC-10s, the whole nine yards. As for rare aircraft that are still operating bookable airline flights at MIA, a random Venezuelan Airline flies 737-200s and Fokkers into MIA, and various charter operators fly small props as well, such as ExecAir with its only plane, a C182, doing MIA-APF-MIA. It's a wonder I didn't max out my memory card just spotting...
After leaving the club, I spot a flock of colorful Tri-Jets across the ramp!
Upon closer inspection, the red tailed-Tri-Jet appears to be a passenger A/C, although the number two engine is missing! We all know what that means for her...{crying}
A very low load factor in First Class for today's hop up to MCO. There are going to be some happy FFs and nonrevs...
Nearly 20 minutes before my scheduled flight to MCO was ready to board, I headed back up the escalator and into the Gate D16 Admiral's Club for a few last minute soft drinks. The ladies recognize me from before, not even asking me to scan my day pass or show my ID, so I venture inside the Club and slug down a few carbonated beverages, before tipping the bartender quite heavily and returning to Gate D16 after bidding the kind check-in agents goodbye.
Gate D16 is obviously set up for international arrivals, perhaps from South America or who knows where else--there are no windows at all at this gate and you actually have to walk through two cordoned-off rooms to reach the jetway.
Just as I stroll up to the gate, the agent begins her usual spiel over the PA about how full the flight was, how people past zone XYZ won't have any space to place their bags in the overhead bins, and begging people to check their bags (a few people do actually check them). I am beginning to wonder if this "flight is going to be 100% full" announcement is standard corporate lingo no matter what the load factor percentage is. I hear the agent clearing a large crowd of nonrevs into first class, so maybe I am right on that one...
When first class is called to board, I walked up to the Priority AAccess lane, scan my boarding pass, walk through two rooms, and finally I am wandering down the jetway to my ride today, N374AA.
Looks like there's quite a crowd of people down there, I am very thankful to be in First Class.
My ride to and from Orlando today: N374AA, a 22.3 year-old legacy AA 767-323(ER) painted in the "New American" (forgot the actual livery name, sorry) colors in April 2013, but retains the old AA interior.
Boarding N374AA through an internationally-configured gate.
The female purser at the door greets me with a warm smile enthusiastically directs me to my seat.
American Airlines' 763s are set up in a 2-cabin layout, with Business Class, Main Cabin Extra, and Main Cabin seating. The old angle-flat business class seats that remain on the birds that have not yet been refurbished with B.E. Aerospace Contour Sleeper Suites (the same model found in DL BusinessElite cabins on their 763s and 764s) are basically identical to the same J-product used on the internationally-equipped 752s, with a handful of key differences. In the 752 variant, the IFE unit is attached to the seatback, but in the 763, the IFE are individually distributed tablets that are stored in the galley (or in a storage area somewhere within the aircraft). The space where the IFE is in the 752 is actually a storage area with a DC power port. Which brings me to the next difference which is that there are no eMPower ports in any cabin on this aircraft, only DC Power ports. For those not in the know, DC Power ports are the same ports you often see in automobiles that charge your mobile phone (car charger) and are commonly referred to as "cigarette lighters". Flight attendants on these flights do not have any adapters, so you're out of luck if you don't bring one or don't have an adapter at all. (Strangely, AA's 772s do have adapters onboard, and we'll see how well they work when I fly American Airlines Flagship Suites on Saturday, September 20th, 2014.)
Angle-lie-flat seats do in fact recline to be fully flat, but at an upward perpendicular angle to the aircraft floor. For me, this means that trying to rest on a playground slide, always falling off. There is a fold-up leather-covered footrest at the base of the seat that is in theory supposed to prevent people from sliding down, but even with both the seat belt and footrest being utilized dually, it is still extremely difficult for me to sleep at all on such an angled surface, especially since I prefer to sleep face-down.
Notwithstanding that, the seat itself is actually pretty comfortable to lie down in (not to sleep for reasons stated above ), and is upholstered in soft cloth padding rather than the ubiquitous leather which only seems to be spreading throughout airlines worldwide (the only leather surfaces are the winged headrest and the extendable footrest.) The headrest does do a satisfactory job keeping my head in place, and the seat allows you to lower the armrests on either side to increase shoulder space.
The Old American Airlines Business Class seat, soon to be replaced by B.E. Aerospace Contour sleeper suites. Can you spot the hiding Vignelli Associates Eagle logo?
J class cabin during the boarding process.
Pretty much unlimited legroom. Pitch is 60 inches according to SeatGuru, or five feet. Also notice the molecular carpet design, which is unique to AA I believe.
Overhead flight attendant call buttons have been relocated to the armrest as well as audio controls, this bird did not have any overhead "gasper" air vents.
Seat recline controls located at the end of the armrest / tray table stowage compartment.
Tray table and storage area, with the DC power port in the top left. Note also the pattern of lines making up tiny squares on the walls, this pattern seems to be unique to American Airlines as well.
The second portion of the tray table folds out of the armrest (near the recline controls) and joins up with the seat back tray table to form one large dining / working surface.
"Car Charger" or "Cigarette Lighter" DC Power port.
An inconspicuous headphone jack located underneath the left-side armrest.
I found the hidden eagle "nesting" behind the seat! Too bad this fun logo will be gone soon enough...strange that this bird has Vignelli Associates Eagle logos on the inside, and the "New American" livery painted on the outside fuselage.
Jolie (pronounced HO-LEE as she is of Hispanic descent) is the senior purser serving first class (business class is referred to as "First Class" on any domestic routing on an aircraft on with J, Y+, and Y. On a three-class bird, such as the 772 I'll be taking up to LAX and back to MIA in Flagship Suites First Class on Saturday on this flight, the First Class and Business Class cabins are treated and sold as separate cabins.), and is clearly very enthusiastic about her job. Throughout the flight, she tries her very best to impress us and cater to our every need (well not EVERY need, but you know.... ).
Before the Y-class passengers begin filing down into the coach cabin, Jolie begins serving a selection Pre-Departure Beverages (PDBs). Perhaps due to the size of the aircraft, the large amount of J-class seats, and the short flying time, only Fresh Florida Orange Juice and water are offered on the ground. I agree with this policy, she wouldn't have enough time to serve every one of the thirty J-class passengers without missing someone.
Pre-Departure Beverage of Fresh Florida Orange Juice with the "New American" branding.
Duty Free Shopping Magzaine, but no Sky Mall. Between this and the OJ PDB, I could have swore I was almost on an international flight.
I really hope this scheme makes it to the Super 80s (MD-80s), but according to a lot of American Airlines "insiders" we probably won't see it happen.
Across the page, the US fleet lists the Boeing 737-400, but this aircraft isn't even in service anymore after this year (and so I saved five copies of this issue of American Way )
At about 2:00 PM EST, almost a full five minutes from departure, the captain comes onto the Passenger Address (PA) system and introduces himself and the entire flight crew by name: "...Welcome to American Airlines flight 1525 with nonstop service Orlandooooooohhhh (yes, that's the way he said it). I am your captain, Brian, joined upfront in the cockpit by first officer Roger, our head purser on this flight in the First Class cabin is Jolie..."
He announced our flying time as only 37 minutes airborne enroute to MCO, and the "AA reminder" videos began playing. Unlike DL, UA, and US, AA actually has reminder videos for every phase of their flights, not just a sole safety video during pushback and taxi. Boarding, carry-ons and overhead bins, taking off, safety procedures, cruise, about to land, taxiing to the gate, and deplaning all have their own videos. Though flight attendants are supposed to supplement the videos with human announcements, sometimes they don't, but Jolie did it every time on this flight. Right at about 2:03, the sound of the main cabin door closing shut (BAM!) pierced my ears and the safety demo started playing as we pushed back, started our engines, and taxied out of the stand.
We had a rather quick taxi out to Runway 8R, stopping a couple of times to let a random aircraft take off or taxi by us, but other than that we had a fast drive down to the takeoff strip, not even stopping before the captain gunned the two GE CF6-80C2B6 high-bypass turbofans, which surprisingly pushed me back into my seat more than an equivalent 752 Roll's Royce RB.211 takeoff ( http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/253053 )! I was surprised when we lifted off as it seemed we did not even use up half of the runway!
Once we cleared the airport itself, we flew directly over downtown Miami when suddenly I saw a 738 way too close for comfort, and our flight crew banked us hard to the left to avoid him. It seemed that ATC must have filed us a flight path too close to the rapid takeoffs and arrivals of the very heavily utilized runways 8L and 8R, or maybe it was just the customary turn that all South Florida flights perform after overflying the Atlantic Ocean for a small amount of time.
Though there were some medium-thickness clouds around our route straight up to Orlando, the captain didn't bother flying around them. They were no match for our highly laden 763, and we just plowed right through them at 300+ KIAS with little to no turbulence. We reached our low cruising altitude halfway over Lake Okachobee, which is the plainly visible hole on maps of Florida.
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Takeoff from Miami International Airport (MIA) VIDEO
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Climbout from Miami International Airport (MIA) VIDEO
The main cargo door closes as the ramper pulls away that interesting-looking vehicle--wish I knew its name...
Pushback and a fellow Boeing brethren who hasn't received a new coat of paint yet.
The safety demo is played throughout the cabin on loudspeakers linked to overhead screens.
Taxiing out to Runway 8L.
A rare airworthy passenger Shorts 360! I wonder if Skyway has been threatened by the nearby American Airlines for that livery? :-D
A huge fleet of Saabs on the satellite of ramp. Anyone know who this flock of props belongs to?
Turning onto the runway, but just what is that huge shark fin sticking out of the engine?
Takeoff.
Climbing out of MIA and over downtown Miami!
Intercepting Hollywood, Florida as we fly back over the Floridian mainland.
Climbing to cruise just before we intercept Lake Okeechobee.
Cabin during climb to cruise.
Cruise. We only flew at this altitude for five minutes before beginning our descent.
For the short time in which we were at cruise altitude, Jolie served all the passengers their beverages of choice as opposed to the two-beverage selection on the ground, plus a small bag of "Sweet 'N Savory" snack mix which is surprisingly good. We only remained at our assigned cruising altitude for about five minutes or until we were at the middle of Lake Okachobee, before I physically felt the aircraft descending and we made a U-turn approach into MCO, plunking down hard on the far west runway and taxiing in for an early arrival time.
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Landing at Orlando International Airport VIDEO
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Taxiing into Gate A17 at Orlando International Airport VIDEO
Cabin during the very short cruise period. The overhead TVs were playing random wildlife scenes, waterfalls, and ocean waves on loop to the tune of soft piano interpretations of greatest hits songs in slow tempo--very nice and relaxing.
The inflight service in First Class starts with a simple packet of snack mix...
...followed by an ice cold glass of Coca Cola with a very inconspicuous "New American" Eagle logo on the glass. (Note: these two photos are used from the inbound MCO-MIA leg, unfortunately my camera somehow corrupted some of my images, but it doesn't matter because I ordered the same thing in flight on both legs.)
The flight crew lowers the slats as we slow down on approach.
Vectoring to final, note that fantastic wing flex!
Making the final 180-degree turn to line up with the furthest west runway at MCO.
Final, with downtown Orlando in the distance.
Very, very short final with drooping slats hanging off the leading edge of the wing.
Almost there.......
We slam hard down onto the pavement as we TOUCHDOWN!
Spoilers deploy and reverse thrust engages as the airplane detects our wheel roll-out.
Slowing down. Note the hangar in the top left corner of the image which was a former Continental MX base, and the sign was still up as of a few weeks ago, as seen in this report: http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/257120 , but now all it says is "tal *Globe image here*"
Hey! A Saab! Deja Vu? http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/257120
Pulling into Airside A, specifically gate A17, at Orlando International Airport.
As I walked out of the Business Class cabin, I walked up to Jolie and requested a cockpit visit which was quickly granted. Strangely, I walk right into the cockpit without either of the pilots knowing, but they don't even seem to care and are only welcoming towards myself and my aviation hobby. I inquire about the difference between the 763s performance and the 752 equivalent, and both aviators agree that the 763 is indeed more fun to fly, alluding it to be a fast, highly-maneuverable aircraft because of the dual inboard and outboard ailerons. I tell them that I plan to attend ERAU as I walk out the door, and I overhear them joking "One day this guy will be designing our airplanes!" Always good to have a lighthearted crew!
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ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MCO / KMCO)
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I deplaned into MCO rather quickly, but I didn't go beyond the gate area of Alpha Seventeen. Since I had low battery power on all my devices, I found an outlet on one of the columns in the boarding area before packing up my laptop, camera, and iPhone 5S about another thirty minutes before boarding. Much to my surprise and delight, the first officer from AA 1525 comes up to me and answers all my questions, then proceeds to ask me a lot about myself! Now if only my teachers could teach me the way this guy does...
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- Airline: American Airlines
- Airline IATA Code: IATA Code # AA
- Airline IACO Code: IACO Code # AAL
- Airline Callsign: Radio Callsign AMERICAN
- Airline Flight Number: # AA 1525
- Aircraft / Equipment Used for Flight : Boeing 767-323(ER)
- Aircraft / Equipment Registration: Registration # N374AA
- Airline Aircraft / Equipment Fleet Number: # 374
- Aircraft / Equipment Nationality: United States of America - FAA - Registered A/C / Equipment
- Aircraft Manufacturer: The Boeing Company
- Aircraft Sub - Manufacturer: Boeing Commercial Airplanes Division
- Aircraft's First Flight: June 3rd, 1992
- Aircraft's Age as of Date of Flight: 22.3 Years Old as of September 14th, 2104
- Aircraft Test Registration: Test Registration N374AA
- Aircraft Config: C30Y195
- Total Number of Passenger Seats: 225 Seats
- Aircraft Construction Number (MSN) : # 25201
- Aircraft Line Number: # 437
- Aircraft Delivery Date: June 17th, 1992
- Aircraft Powerplant (s) : 2x GE CF6-80C2B6
- Aircraft Owned by / Leased from: OWNED BY American Airlines Group
- Cabin: Business Class (Sold as First Class)
- Fare Class: F (Full Fare Flexible / Refundable First Class)
- Meal: Beverage / Snack Service
- Seat Assignment: Seat # 5J, Window Seat, Business Class (Sold as First Class)
- Row Assignment: Row # 5, Business Class (Sold as First Class)
- A/C Equipped with IFE: Yes, PTV System
- A/C Equipped with Wi-Fi Wireless Internet Access: No
- Airline Frequent Flier Program: AAdvantage
- Miles / Rewards / Points Earned: 750 AAdvantage Miles, 1 AAdvantage Segment
- Airline Flight Date: September 14th, 2014
- Boarding Call Time: 1:35 PM EST, September 14th, 2014
- Boarding Zone: Boarding Zone # 1, Priority AAccess
- Departure Time: 2:05 PM EST, September 14th, 2014
- Departure Gate / Jetway: Gate / Jetway D14, Concourse D, Terminal 1, KMIA (Miami - International Airport / Wilcox Field / 36th Street / Pan American Field)
- Arrival Time: 3:12 PM EST, September 14th, 2014
- Arrival Gate / Jetway: Gate / Jetway A17, Concourse A, Terminal A, KMCO (Orlando International Airport - McCoy)
- Time Aloft: 1 hours 7 minutes (67 minutes)
- Filed Speed: 214 KIAS
- Filed Cruising Altitude: 19,000 feet
- Flight Distance: Direct: 193 SM | Planned: 233 SM | Flown: 351 SM
- Routing Waypoint (s) : HEDLY1 HEDLY J53 PHK BAIRN3
- Fare Cost: $577.62 USD (Full Fare Refundable / Flexible First Class = $434.88 USD + Taxes & Carrier-Imposed Fees = $43.92 USD + Allianz Travel Insurance = $30.00 USD + American Airlines Admiral's Club One Day Pass = $50.00 USD + AAdvantage Mileage Multiplier = $18.82 USD = $577.82 USD Total)
FLIGHT DATA SOURCE (S) :
1. Planespotter.Net Airline Data
2. Planespotter.Net Airframe Data
3. FlightAware Live Flight Tracking Data
4. Airline Fleet Data
5. Airline General Class of Service Info
6. Airline Aircraft Specific Data / Onboard Product / Amenities
7. Airline Onboard Dining /Cuisine Data
8. Airline Onboard Beverage Selection Data
9. Airline Seat Map Data
10. SeatGuru Seat Map Data
FlightAware for this flight. Copyright FlightAware © 2014
Not having any time to spare, at about 11:55A AM EST, I ran into the baggage claim, desperately looking for a way to access the upper level ticketing / checkin hall. After asking a Cuban Coffee stall server, I am running to the nearest elevator....in dress shoes (as I said earlier, I dressed up for the flight with black trousers, a button down shirt, and dress shoes), just barely catching a ride before the doors slammed shut.
Inside the elevator, a couple who wasn't quite old enough to be elderly but not young enough to be middle age did not seem to pleased to be sharing the elevator with such a young "whippersnapper". They stared at me and pointed at one of the elevator buttons, murmuring incomprehensible phrases before becoming outwardly irate and just pushing the button themselves. As I exited the elevator with them walking out behind me, I overhead the husband saying "there's a whole generation just like him" (WHAT? I didn't even understand what you said?). Flared up by this man's ignorant comments, I was tempted to do a 180 degree turn and fire back, "Guess which generation raised us!?" but I remember the manners my VERY traditional manners my parents taught me, refraining from engaging him.
After I printed my receipt-paper boarding passes at the kiosk (and adding on 3,000 AAdvantage account miles for only $30
), I head over to the MIA Concourse D security checkpoint and went through the usual TSA rituals before entering the airside.Heading over to the Priority AAccess desks and kiosks to print out my boarding passes.
Printing out boarding passes at the Priority AAccess carry-on-only kiosks.
AA reminds me of my flight's gate assignment, the most useful feature I've seen a kiosk perform IMO.
While waiting in the Priority AAcess Security lane, I spotted the Flagship First Class Check in "room". I'll be in there on Saturday. {hyper}
MIA is much more modern than FLL, and is much more spacious as well. High ceilings create a general feeling of substantial spaciousness. Between the various lengths of terminal are very large skylights, even higher than the normal ceilings, with each containing a unique "luxury good advertisement", for example, there was a Lincoln Towncar parked in the center of one skylight. With the tall ceilings, the sheer amount of retail and dining venues, and the omnipresent could easily be mistaken for a high - class shopping mall or hotel.
Instead of taking the MIA Mover (The Bombardier APM-100 train that links all of the terminals at Miami International Airport) over to the Admiral's Club, I decided to traverse the good old fashioned way: walking! My stroll over to the clubroom was actually quite enjoyable, since I was unable to explore MIA "in-depth" the last time I was here on may 17th: http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/253053
Eventually, I find my way to the entrance escalator, check-in with the agents at the top (and receive souvenir cardstock boarding passes / receipt), and make my way into the lounge itself.
Airside at MIA, walking to the Admiral's Club.
Entering the club.
Initially I was confused, as the Admiral's Club appeared to have no walls! However, the agent told me that what is pictured above is an overflow area, and I turn around and see...
The entrance!
(I sincerely apologize for the blurriness)Checking in.
The American Airlines Admiral's Club is comparable to the overall offerings of the US Airways Club, the Delta Sky Club, and the United Club. One-Day Passes are available for $50 USD (which is how I was granted admittance), offered food is usually munchies, junk food, and snacks, there is a bar, free Wi-FI Wireless Broadband internet, and other such amenities typical of United States-based airlines' airport lounges.
Entering the Club.
The main "Grand Hall" seating area.
Usual United States-based airline lounge hamster food - cookies, snack mixes, complimentary beverages, fruit, and vegetables.
One thing that sets AA apart in this regard, though, is that most of their lounges within their hub airports have an actual sit-down restaurant within the club itself (Delta does this as well at one of the Sky Clubs in JFK I believe, but I'm unsure of whether they do this anywhere else besides New York). There are complimentary light snacks just like every other United States-based airline lounge, including fresh-baked cookies, fruit, vegetables, and snack mixes. But the REAL food in the inter-club restaurant isn't free.
I don't understand why, but American Airlines has been harshly criticized for not making the food in the eatery free. I don't agree with those critics at all. For one thing, it's good that the restaurant exists at all, I'd definitely prefer a surcharged dining venue rather than have only hamster food. Secondly, I doubt American Airlines could afford to keep the various prices of admittance down AND keep the wide extent of the restaurant's menu if they made the food free. The menu itself is actually pretty extensive, here are scans from the menu that the bartender let me keep:
Scans of all four menu pages.
Since I didn't have any breakfast, I take a seat at the bar (generating strange looks from the other adults in the bar-chairs surrounding me all the while) and explored the menu, eventually settling on a Vanilla Belgian Waffle served with warm maple syrup, cool whipped cream, and sugar-glazed strawberries, as well as a yogurt parfait and a number of my customary cokes.
The Hispanic barman has a bit of a difficult time understanding my order, but eventually he gets what I desire to eat. All orders in this Admiral's Club restaurant (near Gate D16) are telephoned directly into the kitchen so as to avoid a large amount of waiters / waitresses hustling around and thereby disrupting the quiet atmosphere. While my food is being made, the bartender and I strike up a friendly chat and I have several glasses of Coke.
Sitting at the bar while the barman comes over to take my order.
Perusing over the surprisingly extensive food choices.
It wasn't readily apparent how long I would have to wait to receive my food, so I asked the bartender and he suggested that I get my order "To-Go". While this meant that I wouldn't see any American Airlines cutlery or dishes, it did mean that I could bring my food along with me wherever I decided to spot.
The waffle itself was downright DELICIOUS. It seemed to have "pockets" of vanilla and maple syrup within the batter, and once it was topped with the cool whipped cream and sugar-glazed strawberries, it was pretty much akin to a little slice of heaven. The Parfait was decent as well, just a normal yogurt cup with fresh fruit and granola. Well worth the $12.
Very nice takeout bag, I ended up keeping it.
My breakfast. Note that this is a to-go order, that's why it is all plastic. If you stay in the club, they serve your food with real AA porcelain plates and metal American Airlines-inscribed utensils.
The mediocre view out of the only tarmac view windows in the Gate D16 Admiral's Club at MIA. I still can't decide which livery I like better, I love them both equally!
Which is your favorite?Looking the other way into a large maintenance hangar. I wonder what they're doing over there? Oh, and the livery comparison once again...
After I finished up my meal, I spotted from the only windows to have a view of the tarmac, in the back of the club. This meant that the only views I could see were a bit of the entrance to MIA from I95 and a mediocre selection of AA 738s, so I threw away my trash (except for that awesome bag) and headed down to the terminal to spot and to view my scheduled 763.
Besides an indescribable amount of American Airlines aircraft, MIA is also home to a wide variety of other airlines and rare aircraft. The airport itself is widely known as a decommissioning hub where aircraft spend their last hours before being parted out, transferred, or moved to Opa-Locka Airport (OPL, same acronym as the train station, I believe.) to be scrapped. Thus, a ton of old, decommissioned aircraft were present across the ramp: too many Cargo MD-11s to count, DC-9s of all versions (-40, -50, etc.), Shorts 360s, Beechcraft B1900Ds, Saab 340B+s, DC-10s, the whole nine yards. As for rare aircraft that are still operating bookable airline flights at MIA, a random Venezuelan Airline flies 737-200s and Fokkers into MIA, and various charter operators fly small props as well, such as ExecAir with its only plane, a C182, doing MIA-APF-MIA. It's a wonder I didn't max out my memory card just spotting...
After leaving the club, I spot a flock of colorful Tri-Jets across the ramp!
Upon closer inspection, the red tailed-Tri-Jet appears to be a passenger A/C, although the number two engine is missing! We all know what that means for her...{crying}
A very low load factor in First Class for today's hop up to MCO. There are going to be some happy FFs and nonrevs...
Nearly 20 minutes before my scheduled flight to MCO was ready to board, I headed back up the escalator and into the Gate D16 Admiral's Club for a few last minute soft drinks. The ladies recognize me from before, not even asking me to scan my day pass or show my ID, so I venture inside the Club and slug down a few carbonated beverages, before tipping the bartender quite heavily and returning to Gate D16 after bidding the kind check-in agents goodbye.
Gate D16 is obviously set up for international arrivals, perhaps from South America or who knows where else--there are no windows at all at this gate and you actually have to walk through two cordoned-off rooms to reach the jetway.
Just as I stroll up to the gate, the agent begins her usual spiel over the PA about how full the flight was, how people past zone XYZ won't have any space to place their bags in the overhead bins, and begging people to check their bags (a few people do actually check them). I am beginning to wonder if this "flight is going to be 100% full" announcement is standard corporate lingo no matter what the load factor percentage is. I hear the agent clearing a large crowd of nonrevs into first class, so maybe I am right on that one...
When first class is called to board, I walked up to the Priority AAccess lane, scan my boarding pass, walk through two rooms, and finally I am wandering down the jetway to my ride today, N374AA.
Looks like there's quite a crowd of people down there, I am very thankful to be in First Class.
My ride to and from Orlando today: N374AA, a 22.3 year-old legacy AA 767-323(ER) painted in the "New American" (forgot the actual livery name, sorry) colors in April 2013, but retains the old AA interior.
Boarding N374AA through an internationally-configured gate.
The female purser at the door greets me with a warm smile enthusiastically directs me to my seat.
American Airlines' 763s are set up in a 2-cabin layout, with Business Class, Main Cabin Extra, and Main Cabin seating. The old angle-flat business class seats that remain on the birds that have not yet been refurbished with B.E. Aerospace Contour Sleeper Suites (the same model found in DL BusinessElite cabins on their 763s and 764s) are basically identical to the same J-product used on the internationally-equipped 752s, with a handful of key differences. In the 752 variant, the IFE unit is attached to the seatback, but in the 763, the IFE are individually distributed tablets that are stored in the galley (or in a storage area somewhere within the aircraft). The space where the IFE is in the 752 is actually a storage area with a DC power port. Which brings me to the next difference which is that there are no eMPower ports in any cabin on this aircraft, only DC Power ports. For those not in the know, DC Power ports are the same ports you often see in automobiles that charge your mobile phone (car charger) and are commonly referred to as "cigarette lighters". Flight attendants on these flights do not have any adapters, so you're out of luck if you don't bring one or don't have an adapter at all. (Strangely, AA's 772s do have adapters onboard, and we'll see how well they work when I fly American Airlines Flagship Suites on Saturday, September 20th, 2014.)
Angle-lie-flat seats do in fact recline to be fully flat, but at an upward perpendicular angle to the aircraft floor. For me, this means that trying to rest on a playground slide, always falling off. There is a fold-up leather-covered footrest at the base of the seat that is in theory supposed to prevent people from sliding down, but even with both the seat belt and footrest being utilized dually, it is still extremely difficult for me to sleep at all on such an angled surface, especially since I prefer to sleep face-down.
Notwithstanding that, the seat itself is actually pretty comfortable to lie down in (not to sleep for reasons stated above
), and is upholstered in soft cloth padding rather than the ubiquitous leather which only seems to be spreading throughout airlines worldwide (the only leather surfaces are the winged headrest and the extendable footrest.) The headrest does do a satisfactory job keeping my head in place, and the seat allows you to lower the armrests on either side to increase shoulder space.The Old American Airlines Business Class seat, soon to be replaced by B.E. Aerospace Contour sleeper suites. Can you spot the hiding Vignelli Associates Eagle logo?
J class cabin during the boarding process.
Pretty much unlimited legroom. Pitch is 60 inches according to SeatGuru, or five feet.
Also notice the molecular carpet design, which is unique to AA I believe.Overhead flight attendant call buttons have been relocated to the armrest as well as audio controls, this bird did not have any overhead "gasper" air vents.
Seat recline controls located at the end of the armrest / tray table stowage compartment.
Tray table and storage area, with the DC power port in the top left. Note also the pattern of lines making up tiny squares on the walls, this pattern seems to be unique to American Airlines as well.
The second portion of the tray table folds out of the armrest (near the recline controls) and joins up with the seat back tray table to form one large dining / working surface.
"Car Charger" or "Cigarette Lighter" DC Power port.
An inconspicuous headphone jack located underneath the left-side armrest.
I found the hidden eagle "nesting" behind the seat!
Too bad this fun logo will be gone soon enough...strange that this bird has Vignelli Associates Eagle logos on the inside, and the "New American" livery painted on the outside fuselage.Jolie (pronounced HO-LEE as she is of Hispanic descent) is the senior purser serving first class (business class is referred to as "First Class" on any domestic routing on an aircraft on with J, Y+, and Y. On a three-class bird, such as the 772 I'll be taking up to LAX and back to MIA in Flagship Suites First Class on Saturday on this flight, the First Class and Business Class cabins are treated and sold as separate cabins.), and is clearly very enthusiastic about her job. Throughout the flight, she tries her very best to impress us and cater to our every need (well not EVERY need, but you know....
).Before the Y-class passengers begin filing down into the coach cabin, Jolie begins serving a selection Pre-Departure Beverages (PDBs). Perhaps due to the size of the aircraft, the large amount of J-class seats, and the short flying time, only Fresh Florida Orange Juice and water are offered on the ground. I agree with this policy, she wouldn't have enough time to serve every one of the thirty J-class passengers without missing someone.
Pre-Departure Beverage of Fresh Florida Orange Juice with the "New American" branding.
Duty Free Shopping Magzaine, but no Sky Mall. Between this and the OJ PDB, I could have swore I was almost on an international flight.
I really hope this scheme makes it to the Super 80s (MD-80s), but according to a lot of American Airlines "insiders" we probably won't see it happen.
Across the page, the US fleet lists the Boeing 737-400, but this aircraft isn't even in service anymore after this year (and so I saved five copies of this issue of American Way
)At about 2:00 PM EST, almost a full five minutes from departure, the captain comes onto the Passenger Address (PA) system and introduces himself and the entire flight crew by name: "...Welcome to American Airlines flight 1525 with nonstop service Orlandooooooohhhh (yes, that's the way he said it
). I am your captain, Brian, joined upfront in the cockpit by first officer Roger, our head purser on this flight in the First Class cabin is Jolie..."He announced our flying time as only 37 minutes airborne enroute to MCO, and the "AA reminder" videos began playing. Unlike DL, UA, and US, AA actually has reminder videos for every phase of their flights, not just a sole safety video during pushback and taxi. Boarding, carry-ons and overhead bins, taking off, safety procedures, cruise, about to land, taxiing to the gate, and deplaning all have their own videos. Though flight attendants are supposed to supplement the videos with human announcements, sometimes they don't, but Jolie did it every time on this flight. Right at about 2:03, the sound of the main cabin door closing shut (BAM!) pierced my ears and the safety demo started playing as we pushed back, started our engines, and taxied out of the stand.
We had a rather quick taxi out to Runway 8R, stopping a couple of times to let a random aircraft take off or taxi by us, but other than that we had a fast drive down to the takeoff strip, not even stopping before the captain gunned the two GE CF6-80C2B6 high-bypass turbofans, which surprisingly pushed me back into my seat more than an equivalent 752 Roll's Royce RB.211 takeoff ( http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/253053 )! I was surprised when we lifted off as it seemed we did not even use up half of the runway!
Once we cleared the airport itself, we flew directly over downtown Miami when suddenly I saw a 738 way too close for comfort, and our flight crew banked us hard to the left to avoid him. It seemed that ATC must have filed us a flight path too close to the rapid takeoffs and arrivals of the very heavily utilized runways 8L and 8R, or maybe it was just the customary turn that all South Florida flights perform after overflying the Atlantic Ocean for a small amount of time.
Though there were some medium-thickness clouds around our route straight up to Orlando, the captain didn't bother flying around them. They were no match for our highly laden 763, and we just plowed right through them at 300+ KIAS with little to no turbulence. We reached our low cruising altitude halfway over Lake Okachobee, which is the plainly visible hole on maps of Florida.
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Takeoff from Miami International Airport (MIA) VIDEO
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Climbout from Miami International Airport (MIA) VIDEO
The main cargo door closes as the ramper pulls away that interesting-looking vehicle--wish I knew its name...
Pushback and a fellow Boeing brethren who hasn't received a new coat of paint yet.
The safety demo is played throughout the cabin on loudspeakers linked to overhead screens.
Taxiing out to Runway 8L.
A rare airworthy passenger Shorts 360! I wonder if Skyway has been threatened by the nearby American Airlines for that livery? :-D
A huge fleet of Saabs on the satellite of ramp. Anyone know who this flock of props belongs to?
Turning onto the runway, but just what is that huge shark fin sticking out of the engine?
Takeoff.
Climbing out of MIA and over downtown Miami!
Intercepting Hollywood, Florida as we fly back over the Floridian mainland.
Climbing to cruise just before we intercept Lake Okeechobee.
Cabin during climb to cruise.
Cruise. We only flew at this altitude for five minutes before beginning our descent.
For the short time in which we were at cruise altitude, Jolie served all the passengers their beverages of choice as opposed to the two-beverage selection on the ground, plus a small bag of "Sweet 'N Savory" snack mix which is surprisingly good. We only remained at our assigned cruising altitude for about five minutes or until we were at the middle of Lake Okachobee, before I physically felt the aircraft descending and we made a U-turn approach into MCO, plunking down hard on the far west runway and taxiing in for an early arrival time.
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Landing at Orlando International Airport VIDEO
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Taxiing into Gate A17 at Orlando International Airport VIDEO
Cabin during the very short cruise period. The overhead TVs were playing random wildlife scenes, waterfalls, and ocean waves on loop to the tune of soft piano interpretations of greatest hits songs in slow tempo--very nice and relaxing.
The inflight service in First Class starts with a simple packet of snack mix...
...followed by an ice cold glass of Coca Cola with a very inconspicuous "New American" Eagle logo on the glass. (Note: these two photos are used from the inbound MCO-MIA leg, unfortunately my camera somehow corrupted some of my images, but it doesn't matter because I ordered the same thing in flight on both legs.)
The flight crew lowers the slats as we slow down on approach.
Vectoring to final, note that fantastic wing flex!
Making the final 180-degree turn to line up with the furthest west runway at MCO.
Final, with downtown Orlando in the distance.
Very, very short final with drooping slats hanging off the leading edge of the wing.
Almost there.......
We slam hard down onto the pavement as we TOUCHDOWN!
Spoilers deploy and reverse thrust engages as the airplane detects our wheel roll-out.
Slowing down. Note the hangar in the top left corner of the image which was a former Continental MX base, and the sign was still up as of a few weeks ago, as seen in this report: http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/257120 , but now all it says is "tal *Globe image here*"
Hey! A Saab! Deja Vu? http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/257120
Pulling into Airside A, specifically gate A17, at Orlando International Airport.
As I walked out of the Business Class cabin, I walked up to Jolie and requested a cockpit visit which was quickly granted. Strangely, I walk right into the cockpit without either of the pilots knowing, but they don't even seem to care and are only welcoming towards myself and my aviation hobby. I inquire about the difference between the 763s performance and the 752 equivalent, and both aviators agree that the 763 is indeed more fun to fly, alluding it to be a fast, highly-maneuverable aircraft because of the dual inboard and outboard ailerons. I tell them that I plan to attend ERAU as I walk out the door, and I overhear them joking "One day this guy will be designing our airplanes!" Always good to have a lighthearted crew!
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ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MCO / KMCO)
---
I deplaned into MCO rather quickly, but I didn't go beyond the gate area of Alpha Seventeen. Since I had low battery power on all my devices, I found an outlet on one of the columns in the boarding area before packing up my laptop, camera, and iPhone 5S about another thirty minutes before boarding. Much to my surprise and delight, the first officer from AA 1525 comes up to me and answers all my questions, then proceeds to ask me a lot about myself! Now if only my teachers could teach me the way this guy does...
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Sep 17, 2014, 1:56 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Programs: IAMAW Local 368/HAL 2 Star Mariner
Posts: 740
KMCO (Orlando International Airport - McCoy) - KMIA (Miami - International Airport / Wilcox Field / 36th Street / Pan American Field)
FLIGHT DATA SOURCE (S) :
1. Planespotter.Net Airline Data
2. Planespotter.Net Airframe Data
3. FlightAware Live Flight Tracking Data
4. Airline Fleet Data
5. Airline General Class of Service Info
6. Airline Aircraft Specific Data / Onboard Product / Amenities
7. Airline Onboard Dining /Cuisine Data
8. Airline Onboard Beverage Selection Data
9. Airline Seat Map Data
10. SeatGuru Seat Map Data
FlightAware for this flight. Copyright FlightAware © 2014
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As N374AA with American Airlines in Chrome / Polished Metal Livery:
<twoid:1006669,1520646>
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Just as the first officer from American Airlines Flight 1525, my inbound flight from MIA to MCO, and I wrap up our conversation and bid farewell to eachother, I hear the call for AA 1678 with nonstop service to Miami, beginning boarding with First Class. I snap a few exterior shots before boarding with the rest of the Priority AAccess lane.
Jolie is very surprised to see me onboard so early again, so I quickly explain why I wanted to go on such a short routing on the widebody 763. She doesn't seem to be too bothered by this, and I walk back to my same seat from the outbound lane, 5J in Business Class (First Class). This time, however, I am able to actually get some pretty decent shots of the seat reclined and in bed mode, so enjoy!
Gate A17, Airside A at MCO was where my inbound MCO-MIA route departed from.
A Matte-Silver N374AA 763 lies in wait for me to take her back to MIA--same reg, but who cares--I'm on a widebody for a 30-minute-IntraFloridian flight!
Boarding the 767 through the Alpha Seventeen jetway.
J-class cabin.
Same seat, same row, with plush AA domestic blankets.
The seat in "fully flat" mode.
View of the Business Class cabin, standing up of course for better vantage.
As the boarding process was in progress, I spotted aircraft taking off from the nearby runway, which also happened to be the same runway we flew in on and will be departing soon. As with the last flight, Jolie came around with the tray of glasses of orange juice and water, while the overhead reminder videos looped on about "settling in" and properly storing carry-on bags.
Jolie hands out juice and water to the premium passengers.
I radically changed my life by choosing water instead of Orange Juice. :P
Soon enough the J-class passengers finish boarding, and not long after that the Y class passengers are all seated, meaning we can depart back to MIA! The flight crew this time is actually a different set of people--I believe the pilots actually went to go fly a turn to DFW or something, but the flight attendants remained on the aircraft. Captain Mason boldly introduced himself and First Officer Tyler, as well as Jolie and the rest of the flight crew.
Or not. After about 20 minutes of nothing happening, the pilots come onto the horn and announce that one of the vehicles used to load bags into the cargo hold broke down attached to the airplane, essentially freezing us at the gate.
After about ten minutes, this MX guy shows up in this makeshiftingly-converted pickup truck to tow away the broken service vehicle.
We eventually taxied out to the runway after the broken loader was towed away to a MX location, and unlike in MIA we did not have to wait very long before the pilots advanced the two throttles into the TO/GA detent and we shoot off into the deep blue sky of afternoon Florida.
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Takeoff from Orlando International Airport (MCO) VIDEO
Pushback. Looks like the rampers are taking no chances and using hand signals to add an extra layer of protection. :-D
The safety video plays as we push back out of gate A17.
Humming right along to the runway.
The J-Class cabin was much more empty on this leg, I'd say about 50% of the LF upfront was empty.
Lining up with the runway, dropping the slats and flaps as we go.
Takeoff with extreme wing flex, the pilots seemed to highly enjoy pushing the machine to its performance limit.
Performing a series of turns and ramming through various cloud formations as we try to fly parallel to the east coast of Florida.
Swoosh! Turning away from some nasty, turbulent storm clouds.
Climbing to our cruise altitude among mountains of clouds.
Cabin during climb.
At cruise, but only for a few minutes. Here we were turning to avoid those windy storms at the top of the image, dumping rain and bad weather all over east-central Florida. The airport below is MLB, Melbourne Regional Airport, which actually has commercial service from DL and some other airline.
Unlike the last flight, where the crew just flew through the clouds, the inbound flight crew actually made a concise effort to steer around clouds when possible rather than just run right into them, which made for a very soft and pleasant ride down to Miami.
Jolie immediately hopped up once the captain started talking on the loudspeaker, and I once again ordered a Coca-Cola with extra limes and received a pack of snack mix, gobbling them both up as I was quite ravenous in my hunger by that point. After that, I decided to see if I could try to sleep on the fully-flat angled seat, making a makeshift bed out of two blankets (using a folded up one fresh out of the wrapper as a "pillow" and another simply as a blanket.) Unfortunately, I could make myself comfortable, but I couldn't sleep, confirming my earlier self-wonderings.
My makeshift bed, which although comfy, I couldn't manage to sleep in.
The service starts out with a packet of snack mix again.
And yet another Coca-Cola classic with plenty of lime garnishes.
Cruising along the east coast of Florida, avoiding the harrowing storms to the west.
Cabin during cruise, with the airshow being displayed on screens throughout the J-class cabin.
The rest of the flight was totally nondescript, I ended up remaining in "bed" mode as we flew straight down the east coast of Florida before intercepting the coast at FLL, flying out over the Everglades conservation area, making a U-turn and landing on Runway 8L, where I had started two hours earlier. After pulling off the runway, we had to wait a bit between Runways 8L and 8R because of all the aircraft departing in the late afternoon. We pulled up to the gate, I went up to the cockpit, and deplaned, just as I always do out of sheer ritualistic tradition.
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Landing at Miami International Airport (MIA) VIDEO
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Landing at Miami International Airport (MIA) VIDEO 2
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Taxiing Into Gate D14 at Miami International Airport (MIA) VIDEO
Making landfall again at the base of our flight plan.
Intercepting FLL as we begin our initial approach fixing into MIA.
Flying parallel to MIA and over the Everglades conservation area.
Sun Life stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, who haven't been doing so good in recent years and seasons...
Turning right around over Everglades National Park.
Racing an AA 738 on long final--he won.
Very very very very very shot final. :-D
Almost there....
Touchdown, reverse thrust and spoilers engaged to maximum levels.
Taxiing off the runway while the aviators upfront wash off the wing.
A bunch of aircraft lift off right in front of us as we wait to cross runway 8R.
Taxi to the gate, AA 1678.
777! I won't be riding on this pictured 773, but I will be riding on an American Airlines Flagship Suites journey to LAX on Saturday, Septermber 20th! {hyper}
Pulling up to gate D14 at MIA.
Parked, engines shut down, and ramp vehicles (that are not broken down in MCO :-D) ready for action!
Deplaning.
American Airlines 767-323ER N374AA's Flight Deck.
Walking up the jetway and into MIA.
- Airline: American Airlines
- Airline IATA Code: IATA Code # AA
- Airline IACO Code: IACO Code # AAL
- Airline Callsign: Radio Callsign AMERICAN
- Airline Flight Number: # AA 1678
- Aircraft / Equipment Used for Flight : Boeing 767-323(ER)
- Aircraft / Equipment Registration: Registration # N374AA
- Airline Aircraft / Equipment Fleet Number: # 374
- Aircraft / Equipment Nationality: United States of America - FAA - Registered A/C / Equipment
- Aircraft Manufacturer: The Boeing Company
- Aircraft Sub - Manufacturer: Boeing Commercial Airplanes Division
- Aircraft's First Flight: June 3rd, 1992
- Aircraft's Age as of Date of Flight: 22.3 Years Old as of September 14th, 2104
- Aircraft Test Registration: Test Registration N374AA
- Aircraft Config: C30Y195
- Total Number of Passenger Seats: 225 Seats
- Aircraft Construction Number (MSN) : # 25201
- Aircraft Line Number: # 437
- Aircraft Delivery Date: June 17th, 1992
- Aircraft Powerplant (s) : 2x GE CF6-80C2B6
- Aircraft Owned by / Leased from: OWNED BY American Airlines Group
- Cabin: Business Class (Sold as First Class)
- Fare Class: F (Full Fare Flexible / Refundable First Class)
- Meal: Beverage / Snack Service
- Seat Assignment: Seat # 5J, Window Seat, Business Class (Sold as First Class)
- Row Assignment: Row # 5, Business Class (Sold as First Class)
- A/C Equipped with IFE: Yes, PTV System
- A/C Equipped with Wi-Fi Wireless Internet Access: No
- Airline Frequent Flier Program: AAdvantage
- Miles / Rewards / Points Earned: 750 AAdvantage Miles, 1 AAdvantage Segment
- Airline Flight Date: September 14th, 2014
- Boarding Call Time: 3:42 PM EST, September 14th, 2014
- Boarding Zone: Boarding Zone # 1, Priority AAccess
- Departure Time: 4:12 PM EST, September 14th, 2014
- Departure Gate / Jetway: Gate / Jetway A17, Concourse A, Terminal A, KMCO (Orlando International Airport - McCoy)
- Arrival Time: 3:12 PM EST, September 14th, 2014
- Arrival Gate / Jetway: Gate / Jetway D14, Concourse D, Terminal 1, KMIA (Miami - International Airport / Wilcox Field / 36th Street / Pan American Field)
- Time Aloft: 1 hours 7 minutes (67 minutes)
- Filed Speed: 214 KIAS
- Filed Cruising Altitude: , feet
- Flight Distance: Direct: 193 SM | Planned: 311 SM | Flown: SM
- Routing Waypoint (s) : ATLAS MLB HILEY4
- Fare Cost: $527.62 USD (Full Fare Refundable / Flexible First Class = $434.88 USD + Taxes & Carrier-Imposed Fees = $43.92 USD + Allianz Travel Insurance = $30.00 USD + AAdvantage Mileage Multiplier = $18.82 USD = $527.62 USD Total)
FLIGHT DATA SOURCE (S) :
1. Planespotter.Net Airline Data
2. Planespotter.Net Airframe Data
3. FlightAware Live Flight Tracking Data
4. Airline Fleet Data
5. Airline General Class of Service Info
6. Airline Aircraft Specific Data / Onboard Product / Amenities
7. Airline Onboard Dining /Cuisine Data
8. Airline Onboard Beverage Selection Data
9. Airline Seat Map Data
10. SeatGuru Seat Map Data
FlightAware for this flight. Copyright FlightAware © 2014
<twoid:2389836,2484287>
<twoid:2341990,2467676>
<twoid:2341990,2445556>
As N374AA with American Airlines in Chrome / Polished Metal Livery:
<twoid:1006669,1520646>
<twoid:2239145,0950451>
<twoid:0927096,0878750>
Just as the first officer from American Airlines Flight 1525, my inbound flight from MIA to MCO, and I wrap up our conversation and bid farewell to eachother, I hear the call for AA 1678 with nonstop service to Miami, beginning boarding with First Class. I snap a few exterior shots before boarding with the rest of the Priority AAccess lane.
Jolie is very surprised to see me onboard so early again, so I quickly explain why I wanted to go on such a short routing on the widebody 763. She doesn't seem to be too bothered by this, and I walk back to my same seat from the outbound lane, 5J in Business Class (First Class). This time, however, I am able to actually get some pretty decent shots of the seat reclined and in bed mode, so enjoy!
Gate A17, Airside A at MCO was where my inbound MCO-MIA route departed from.
A Matte-Silver N374AA 763 lies in wait for me to take her back to MIA--same reg, but who cares--I'm on a widebody for a 30-minute-IntraFloridian flight!
Boarding the 767 through the Alpha Seventeen jetway.
J-class cabin.
Same seat, same row, with plush AA domestic blankets.
The seat in "fully flat" mode.
View of the Business Class cabin, standing up of course for better vantage.
As the boarding process was in progress, I spotted aircraft taking off from the nearby runway, which also happened to be the same runway we flew in on and will be departing soon. As with the last flight, Jolie came around with the tray of glasses of orange juice and water, while the overhead reminder videos looped on about "settling in" and properly storing carry-on bags.
Jolie hands out juice and water to the premium passengers.
I radically changed my life by choosing water instead of Orange Juice. :P
Soon enough the J-class passengers finish boarding, and not long after that the Y class passengers are all seated, meaning we can depart back to MIA! The flight crew this time is actually a different set of people--I believe the pilots actually went to go fly a turn to DFW or something, but the flight attendants remained on the aircraft. Captain Mason boldly introduced himself and First Officer Tyler, as well as Jolie and the rest of the flight crew.
Or not. After about 20 minutes of nothing happening, the pilots come onto the horn and announce that one of the vehicles used to load bags into the cargo hold broke down attached to the airplane, essentially freezing us at the gate.
After about ten minutes, this MX guy shows up in this makeshiftingly-converted pickup truck to tow away the broken service vehicle.
We eventually taxied out to the runway after the broken loader was towed away to a MX location, and unlike in MIA we did not have to wait very long before the pilots advanced the two throttles into the TO/GA detent and we shoot off into the deep blue sky of afternoon Florida.
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Takeoff from Orlando International Airport (MCO) VIDEO
Pushback. Looks like the rampers are taking no chances and using hand signals to add an extra layer of protection. :-D
The safety video plays as we push back out of gate A17.
Humming right along to the runway.
The J-Class cabin was much more empty on this leg, I'd say about 50% of the LF upfront was empty.
Lining up with the runway, dropping the slats and flaps as we go.
Takeoff with extreme wing flex, the pilots seemed to highly enjoy pushing the machine to its performance limit.
Performing a series of turns and ramming through various cloud formations as we try to fly parallel to the east coast of Florida.
Swoosh!
Turning away from some nasty, turbulent storm clouds.Climbing to our cruise altitude among mountains of clouds.
Cabin during climb.
At cruise, but only for a few minutes. Here we were turning to avoid those windy storms at the top of the image, dumping rain and bad weather all over east-central Florida. The airport below is MLB, Melbourne Regional Airport, which actually has commercial service from DL and some other airline.
Unlike the last flight, where the crew just flew through the clouds, the inbound flight crew actually made a concise effort to steer around clouds when possible rather than just run right into them, which made for a very soft and pleasant ride down to Miami.
Jolie immediately hopped up once the captain started talking on the loudspeaker, and I once again ordered a Coca-Cola with extra limes and received a pack of snack mix, gobbling them both up as I was quite ravenous in my hunger by that point. After that, I decided to see if I could try to sleep on the fully-flat angled seat, making a makeshift bed out of two blankets (using a folded up one fresh out of the wrapper as a "pillow" and another simply as a blanket.) Unfortunately, I could make myself comfortable, but I couldn't sleep, confirming my earlier self-wonderings.
My makeshift bed, which although comfy, I couldn't manage to sleep in.
The service starts out with a packet of snack mix again.
And yet another Coca-Cola classic with plenty of lime garnishes.
Cruising along the east coast of Florida, avoiding the harrowing storms to the west.
Cabin during cruise, with the airshow being displayed on screens throughout the J-class cabin.
The rest of the flight was totally nondescript, I ended up remaining in "bed" mode as we flew straight down the east coast of Florida before intercepting the coast at FLL, flying out over the Everglades conservation area, making a U-turn and landing on Runway 8L, where I had started two hours earlier. After pulling off the runway, we had to wait a bit between Runways 8L and 8R because of all the aircraft departing in the late afternoon. We pulled up to the gate, I went up to the cockpit, and deplaned, just as I always do out of sheer ritualistic tradition.
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Landing at Miami International Airport (MIA) VIDEO
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Landing at Miami International Airport (MIA) VIDEO 2
American Airlines 767-300 General Electric CF6-80C2B6 Taxiing Into Gate D14 at Miami International Airport (MIA) VIDEO
Making landfall again at the base of our flight plan.
Intercepting FLL as we begin our initial approach fixing into MIA.
Flying parallel to MIA and over the Everglades conservation area.
Sun Life stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, who haven't been doing so good in recent years and seasons...
Turning right around over Everglades National Park.
Racing an AA 738 on long final--he won
.Very very very very very shot final. :-D
Almost there....
Touchdown, reverse thrust and spoilers engaged to maximum levels.
Taxiing off the runway while the aviators upfront wash off the wing.
A bunch of aircraft lift off right in front of us as we wait to cross runway 8R.
Taxi to the gate, AA 1678.
777! I won't be riding on this pictured 773, but I will be riding on an American Airlines Flagship Suites journey to LAX on Saturday, Septermber 20th! {hyper}
Pulling up to gate D14 at MIA.
Parked, engines shut down, and ramp vehicles (that are not broken down in MCO :-D) ready for action!
Deplaning.
American Airlines 767-323ER N374AA's Flight Deck.
Walking up the jetway and into MIA.
Sep 17, 2014, 1:56 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Programs: IAMAW Local 368/HAL 2 Star Mariner
Posts: 740
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MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MIA / KMIA)
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I am quite tired and famished by this point, so I make a point to draw a beeline straight to the Admiral's Club near gate D30, which is much, much larger than the one near D16: 2,500 square feet compared to the 30,000 square feet of the D30 lounge! Once inside I am carded and quickly sent up to the top level by means of a nice marble staircase--a grand stair case, if you will.
I snuggle myself into a quiet corner of the lounge and pick up a menu, but no waiter comes, so I flag one down and place my order: a deluxe grilled cheese sandwich with no tomate, fruit cup, milk chocolate pretzels, and a glass of coke. I then plug all my devices--of which my Nikon is dead and my iPhone is at 20% battery--into the wall outlets near my seat. My meal is actually pretty good, with the grilled cheese having a bunch of different slices of the stuff baked together to form a delicious gooey mixture that literally melted in my mouth. I felt quite full (and ZZZ) after my meal, but I relented to spotting instead of wasting my time sleeping, which I can do pretty much anywhere.
After I finish spotting, I took the MIA Mover to the Miami Metrorail Station and set off for the Tri-Rail Transfer station to begin my last segment home from Miami International airport.
Walking to the MIA Mover Station as I am a bit tired by this point and very hungry.
The MIA Mover arrives at the "D" station.
Spotting from the tram, a good variety of AA aircraft and not to mention the colorful TriJets all the way in the back.
AA 777s--just hold on a moment, I'm coming, I'm coming...
Admiral's Club at Gate D30's entrance and reception hall.
MIA Memorabilia in the hallway leading to the rotunda leading to "The Promenade", the main thoroughfare of the lounge.
Skylight Rotunda in the Admiral's Club.
"The Promenade" - the largest seating area in the club as well as the location of the inter-club restaurant.
The Promenade interior.
Very comfortable seating near the restaurant and bar.
Charging my devices and spotting while I wait for my order to be delivered. (Kind of weird to see my STAR ALLIANCE * background in such a large OneWorld hub, although the background itself is a homage to this report: http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/254253
Boy, was I excited to see my feast delivered! I munched it all down faster than an SR-71 traveling at supersonic speed!
American Airlines 757-200 pushing back for departure.
QR 777 being towed to the gate while a AV Avianca A330 blows right past.
Landing gear hatches close as this Avianca Airbus heads down to BOG (Bogota, Colombia).
Exiting the Admiral's Club for the last time today.
AA 763 seen from the MIA mover as I ride it over to exit the secure area.
Exiting out of the secure area at MIA.
MIA Mover Station to the Miami MetroBus, Miami Metrorail, and Rental Car center.
The MIA Mover arrives and I step on to connect to the Miami Metrorail.
Riding the MIA Mover past the parking tollbooths.
Interior of one of the MIA Mover Cars.
Miami Central Station.
Entering the Miami Metrorail Central Station.
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MIA / KMIA)
---
I am quite tired and famished by this point, so I make a point to draw a beeline straight to the Admiral's Club near gate D30, which is much, much larger than the one near D16: 2,500 square feet compared to the 30,000 square feet of the D30 lounge! Once inside I am carded and quickly sent up to the top level by means of a nice marble staircase--a grand stair case, if you will.
I snuggle myself into a quiet corner of the lounge and pick up a menu, but no waiter comes, so I flag one down and place my order: a deluxe grilled cheese sandwich with no tomate, fruit cup, milk chocolate pretzels, and a glass of coke. I then plug all my devices--of which my Nikon is dead and my iPhone is at 20% battery--into the wall outlets near my seat. My meal is actually pretty good, with the grilled cheese having a bunch of different slices of the stuff baked together to form a delicious gooey mixture that literally melted in my mouth. I felt quite full (and ZZZ) after my meal, but I relented to spotting instead of wasting my time sleeping, which I can do pretty much anywhere.
After I finish spotting, I took the MIA Mover to the Miami Metrorail Station and set off for the Tri-Rail Transfer station to begin my last segment home from Miami International airport.
Walking to the MIA Mover Station as I am a bit tired by this point and very hungry.
The MIA Mover arrives at the "D" station.
Spotting from the tram, a good variety of AA aircraft and not to mention the colorful TriJets all the way in the back.
AA 777s--just hold on a moment, I'm coming, I'm coming...
Admiral's Club at Gate D30's entrance and reception hall.
MIA Memorabilia in the hallway leading to the rotunda leading to "The Promenade", the main thoroughfare of the lounge.
Skylight Rotunda in the Admiral's Club.
"The Promenade" - the largest seating area in the club as well as the location of the inter-club restaurant.
The Promenade interior.
Very comfortable seating near the restaurant and bar.
Charging my devices and spotting while I wait for my order to be delivered. (Kind of weird to see my STAR ALLIANCE * background in such a large OneWorld hub, although the background itself is a homage to this report: http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/254253
Boy, was I excited to see my feast delivered! I munched it all down faster than an SR-71 traveling at supersonic speed!
American Airlines 757-200 pushing back for departure.
QR 777 being towed to the gate while a AV Avianca A330 blows right past.
Landing gear hatches close as this Avianca Airbus heads down to BOG (Bogota, Colombia).
Exiting the Admiral's Club for the last time today.
AA 763 seen from the MIA mover as I ride it over to exit the secure area.
Exiting out of the secure area at MIA.
MIA Mover Station to the Miami MetroBus, Miami Metrorail, and Rental Car center.
The MIA Mover arrives and I step on to connect to the Miami Metrorail.
Riding the MIA Mover past the parking tollbooths.
Interior of one of the MIA Mover Cars.
Miami Central Station.
Entering the Miami Metrorail Central Station.
Sep 17, 2014, 1:57 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Programs: IAMAW Local 368/HAL 2 Star Mariner
Posts: 740
MCS (Miami Central Station) - MIA (Miami Metrorail Transfer Station)
RAILROAD DATA SOURCE (S) :
1. Metrorail - Miami-Dade County
2. Transit - Miami-Dade County
3. Miami-Dade Metrorail Transit - Railway Technology
4. Metrorail System Map - Miami-Dade County
5. Metrorail Transfer Station | Tri Rail
Routing for this segment operated by Miami Metrorail.
Sauntering into the Miami Metrorail Station, I head up to one of the Easy Ticket vending machines, which appear to be the same model used by Tri-Rail. A one way ticket cost only $5.65 USD, so I swiped my debit card and headed down to the platform. Surprisingly, the train I photographed in the above post was still there--and remained for after awhile even after I boarded it.
The Miami Metrorail is an above-road railway system that links much of downtown and innercity Miami together, and is not to be confused with the Miami Monorail, a smaller system that is on a completely different track gauge. As with Tri-Rail, the Miami-Dad Transit Metrorail is a single-class, free seating commuter rail with no onboard service to speak of.
To reach the Miami Metrorail Transfer Station from MIA, first I had take the Orange Line to its first stop, Earlington heights, where I would get off that train and transfer to the northbound Green Line Train. Connecting was effortless to say the least, and soon I was stepping out of the Miami Metrorail and right into the SFRTA Tri-Rail.
Buying my ticket at the "Easy Card" vending machines.
"Tapping in" to open the turnstile gates.
For public transit, the Miami Central Station is surprisingly modern, clean, and efficient.
All Miami-Dade Metrorail trainsets were made by the Budd Corporation, which is now defunct.
Departing MCS (Miami Central Station).
Waiting at the Earlington Heights Station (EAR) for the Northbound Green Line train to arrive, which will take me directly to the Miami Metrorail Transfer Station.
The Northbound Green Line train arrives and picks me up.
Departing EAR (Earlington Heights Station on the Miami Metrorail Line).
Leaving the Northbound Green Line Train at Miami Metrorail Transfer Station.
Heading down onto the Tri-Rail platform.
RAILROAD DATA SOURCE (S) :
1. Metrorail - Miami-Dade County
2. Transit - Miami-Dade County
3. Miami-Dade Metrorail Transit - Railway Technology
4. Metrorail System Map - Miami-Dade County
5. Metrorail Transfer Station | Tri Rail
Routing for this segment operated by Miami Metrorail.
Sauntering into the Miami Metrorail Station, I head up to one of the Easy Ticket vending machines, which appear to be the same model used by Tri-Rail. A one way ticket cost only $5.65 USD, so I swiped my debit card and headed down to the platform. Surprisingly, the train I photographed in the above post was still there--and remained for after awhile even after I boarded it.
The Miami Metrorail is an above-road railway system that links much of downtown and innercity Miami together, and is not to be confused with the Miami Monorail, a smaller system that is on a completely different track gauge. As with Tri-Rail, the Miami-Dad Transit Metrorail is a single-class, free seating commuter rail with no onboard service to speak of.
To reach the Miami Metrorail Transfer Station from MIA, first I had take the Orange Line to its first stop, Earlington heights, where I would get off that train and transfer to the northbound Green Line Train. Connecting was effortless to say the least, and soon I was stepping out of the Miami Metrorail and right into the SFRTA Tri-Rail.
Buying my ticket at the "Easy Card" vending machines.
"Tapping in" to open the turnstile gates.
For public transit, the Miami Central Station is surprisingly modern, clean, and efficient.
All Miami-Dade Metrorail trainsets were made by the Budd Corporation, which is now defunct.
Departing MCS (Miami Central Station).
Waiting at the Earlington Heights Station (EAR) for the Northbound Green Line train to arrive, which will take me directly to the Miami Metrorail Transfer Station.
The Northbound Green Line train arrives and picks me up.
Departing EAR (Earlington Heights Station on the Miami Metrorail Line).
Leaving the Northbound Green Line Train at Miami Metrorail Transfer Station.
Heading down onto the Tri-Rail platform.
Sep 17, 2014, 1:58 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Programs: IAMAW Local 368/HAL 2 Star Mariner
Posts: 740
MIA (Miami Metrorail Transfer Station) - CRP (Cypress Creek Station)
RAILROAD DATA SOURCE (S) :
1. Tri Rail | South Florida Regional Transportation Authority
2. South Florida Regional Transportation Authority
3. PWRR Railroad Reporting Marks - T
4. Broward County | Tri Rail
5. Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport Public Transportation - Tri-Rail
Routing for this train segment operated by Tri-Rail.
I arrived on the Tri-Rail platform just 20 minutes before the last train of the night departed northbound from the MIA station at 9:52 PM EST. I was tired and bleary, but I was excited to see that I would be adding a new train to my very small (newbie) train log--the EMD GP49H-3 locomotive.
After I board and take a seat on the upper deck, my lack of rest catches up with me and I promptly pass out before being jarred awake by the sound of my phone's ringtone--it was my father calling, asking if I want him to pick me up at CYP (Cypress Creek Station) instead of taking a cab home. Yes please, Dad!
Crossing the railroad overpass to take the northbound train.
The EMD GP49H-3 locomotive arrives, pushing three Hyundai Rotem BiLevel coaches along.
Plaque inside one of the coaches stating that Hyundai Rotem finished her in 2011.
Lavatory, working when I needed it most to relieve myself.
Drinkable / Potable Water Dispenser Outside the lavatory.
Walking up to my favorite spot on the upper deck of these wagons.
The seats I chose--row 80, and then promptly passed out until my phone rang.
After I get off, the EMD GP49H-3 spearheaded-train speeds off.
My dad is waiting for me near the entrance to the parking garage at CYP (Cypress Creek Tri-Rail Station).
My dad drove me home, I went to bed, and I didn't wake up until 3 PM the next day.
RAILROAD DATA SOURCE (S) :
1. Tri Rail | South Florida Regional Transportation Authority
2. South Florida Regional Transportation Authority
3. PWRR Railroad Reporting Marks - T
4. Broward County | Tri Rail
5. Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport Public Transportation - Tri-Rail
Routing for this train segment operated by Tri-Rail.
I arrived on the Tri-Rail platform just 20 minutes before the last train of the night departed northbound from the MIA station at 9:52 PM EST. I was tired and bleary, but I was excited to see that I would be adding a new train to my very small (newbie) train log--the EMD GP49H-3 locomotive.
After I board and take a seat on the upper deck, my lack of rest catches up with me and I promptly pass out before being jarred awake by the sound of my phone's ringtone--it was my father calling, asking if I want him to pick me up at CYP (Cypress Creek Station) instead of taking a cab home. Yes please, Dad!
Crossing the railroad overpass to take the northbound train.
The EMD GP49H-3 locomotive arrives, pushing three Hyundai Rotem BiLevel coaches along.
Plaque inside one of the coaches stating that Hyundai Rotem finished her in 2011.
Lavatory, working when I needed it most to relieve myself.
Drinkable / Potable Water Dispenser Outside the lavatory.
Walking up to my favorite spot on the upper deck of these wagons.
The seats I chose--row 80, and then promptly passed out until my phone rang.
After I get off, the EMD GP49H-3 spearheaded-train speeds off.
My dad is waiting for me near the entrance to the parking garage at CYP (Cypress Creek Tri-Rail Station).
My dad drove me home, I went to bed, and I didn't wake up until 3 PM the next day.
Sep 17, 2014, 1:58 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Programs: IAMAW Local 368/HAL 2 Star Mariner
Posts: 740
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COMING SOON ON SEPTEMBER 20th, 2014: AMERICAN AIRLINES FLAGSHIP FIRST CLASS SUITES TRANSCON MIA-LAX-MIA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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COMING SOON ON SEPTEMBER 20th, 2014: AMERICAN AIRLINES FLAGSHIP FIRST CLASS SUITES TRANSCON MIA-LAX-MIA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Sep 17, 2014, 1:59 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Programs: IAMAW Local 368/HAL 2 Star Mariner
Posts: 740
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LPDAL / Colby WANTS TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK!
What does everyone think of my reports? Is there any way I can improve them? I'm open to hearing suggestions, thoughts, compliments, and feedback of any sort! Your comments and replies keep these reports coming, so if you liked this report, please take a moment or two to reply to it.
---
-LPDAL
LPDAL / Colby WANTS TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK!
What does everyone think of my reports? Is there any way I can improve them? I'm open to hearing suggestions, thoughts, compliments, and feedback of any sort! Your comments and replies keep these reports coming, so if you liked this report, please take a moment or two to reply to it.
---
-LPDAL
Sep 17, 2014, 2:33 am
#11
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: London
Programs: Amex Centurion, B.A. Silver, Virgin Atlantic Gold, C.X. Diamond
Posts: 205
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LPDAL / Colby WANTS TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK!
What does everyone think of my reports? Is there any way I can improve them? I'm open to hearing suggestions, thoughts, compliments, and feedback of any sort! Your comments and replies keep these reports coming, so if you liked this report, please take a moment or two to reply to it.
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-LPDAL
LPDAL / Colby WANTS TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK!
What does everyone think of my reports? Is there any way I can improve them? I'm open to hearing suggestions, thoughts, compliments, and feedback of any sort! Your comments and replies keep these reports coming, so if you liked this report, please take a moment or two to reply to it.
---
-LPDAL
I was glad to see this trip report pop up because I read an article yesterday about wide-body aircraft begin used domestically in the USA (http://travelskills.com/2014/09/16/f...ic-widebodies/) and so it was very interesting to see this! Your commentary was also very good so please do keep them coming!
Kindest Regards,
Louis Litt
Sep 17, 2014, 1:17 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DAY
Programs: UA 1K 1MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Amex MR; Chase UR; Hertz PC; Global Entry
Posts: 10,159
Great report. Your enthusiasm is evident and infectious. Well done.
Note: There is a section which repeats itself in your report. Might want to edit it up a bit.
Are you going to write up a trip report for your upcoming transcon?
Note: There is a section which repeats itself in your report. Might want to edit it up a bit.
Are you going to write up a trip report for your upcoming transcon?
Sep 17, 2014, 3:18 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 12,332
Thanks for the detailed report!
I have done the Tri Rail down Miami from Boca/Hillsboro a few times in the past, and also done the MIA-MCO turnaround flight in the past (although in Gulfstream Y not B-763 F).
Tri Rail is great, but takes too long.
Always nice to see photos from home back in Florida.
I have done the Tri Rail down Miami from Boca/Hillsboro a few times in the past, and also done the MIA-MCO turnaround flight in the past (although in Gulfstream Y not B-763 F).
Tri Rail is great, but takes too long.
Always nice to see photos from home back in Florida.
Sep 17, 2014, 4:48 pm
#15
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: MIA
Programs: AA EXP (AC), DL G (SC), Bonvoy LTP, & IHG AMB
Posts: 1,798
Wow! To echo others in the forum, great detail; so thorough!
Beyond the detail, I found this trip report very interesting because despite connecting through MIA on multiple occasions, I've never actually originated at the airport (usually go with FLL or PBI instead). This report definitely makes me think that MIA is a viable option, although the non-stops from BOS are rather steep. That being said, I did recently contemplate using the same flights because we were in FLL and ended up going to Orlando to meet friends. The last minute airfare on AA was about $480 r/t each for Economy, so we ended up driving. After seeing that we could have utilized the 767, I'll definitely opt for the flight should we be in a similar situation. The trip report also motivated me to look for some more US/AA 767-200 flights, before they're gone and do a day trip (Assuming they're still out there ) THANKS AGAIN!
Beyond the detail, I found this trip report very interesting because despite connecting through MIA on multiple occasions, I've never actually originated at the airport (usually go with FLL or PBI instead). This report definitely makes me think that MIA is a viable option, although the non-stops from BOS are rather steep. That being said, I did recently contemplate using the same flights because we were in FLL and ended up going to Orlando to meet friends. The last minute airfare on AA was about $480 r/t each for Economy, so we ended up driving. After seeing that we could have utilized the 767, I'll definitely opt for the flight should we be in a similar situation. The trip report also motivated me to look for some more US/AA 767-200 flights, before they're gone and do a day trip (Assuming they're still out there
) THANKS AGAIN!