oneworld82

It’s that time of the year again: Christmas. The shopping, the decorations, the craziness of the Northpark Mall in Dallas (literally: Dallasites are CRAZY about shopping and even more so about this Mall) put everyone in a good spirit. But spending this special time of the year with family is what really makes it special – and so I arranged to go back to Northwestern Italy to enjoy some good old Italian food and fun.

For those of you who do not remember, my hometown is named Ventimiglia after an ancient tribe (the “Intemelii”) who lived here before the Romans decided to conquer this beautiful part of the World overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Today this town of roughly 30,000 souls lies at the border with France, right across Menton. Tourism is the number one source of income for the city, followed by flower production. While the town is pretty much dead in wintertime, it’s very lively during the summer months when Northern Italians, Germans, Swiss, and other people from colder lands decide to take a break and come visit.

To get there I would fly American Airlines old triple-seven-two-hundred from Dallas to London, before connecting to British Airways to Nice. I would then spend four days home before coming back home – Lufthansa to Frankfurt and then on to Toronto followed by Air Canada to Dallas. The trip report will be divided into the following chapters:

1. Back to Europe! AA DFW-LHR in First Class (772)
2. A Short Intra-European Hop: BA LHR-NCE in Business Class (320)
3. Some food from Liguria
4. The Journey Back Home Commences: LH NCE-FRA in Business Class (320)
5. Luxury Travel at its Best: Lufthansa First Class Terminal at Frankfurt Airport
6. Best Way across the Pond? LH FRA-YYZ in First Class (744)
7. Home Stretch: AC YYZ-DFW in Business Class (E75)

I hope you will enjoy the report. Oh, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!



Links to my previous trip reports:

Central Asia Express: Exploring Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on LX C/LH F/EY F/AA F
Four Days in Hawai’i – Kona 2014 featuring AA 763ER in F HNL-DFW
To Taiwan! How to burn USDM on CX and JL (new) First Class
LH New F (DFW-FRA) vs BA F (LHR-LAX) + French Riviera, Brussels, Luxembourg, and NYE
A seat (LH F), a Porsche, a bed (LH F/EY F), Southern OZ+AKL, a tasting menu (QF F)
A lion here, a rhino there... a safari in South Africa & Swaziland feat. AA J class
Hanami in Tokyo for the weekend: DFW-NRT (AA F) vs NRT-JFK-DFW (NH F Square, UA F)
A weekend in Santiago de Chile: DFW-SCL-DFW on AA Business Class (763ER)
A weekend in Dubai: DFW-LHR-DXB in 72 hrs. Lots of pics, feat. BA Club World
oneworld! Vietnam, Laos, Philippines, Australia trip reports + CX F/J, QF J and AA F
Cathay Pacific NYC - HKG - SIN in First/Business class: unforgettable!
MNL-SYD in Qantas business class + Qantas Club in MNL
Coming back from Down Under - Qantas A380 Biz Class CNS-MEL-LAX and AA F to SJC
Tales from Israel & the West Bank - IB/LY in Y
Kangaroos are so cute! Let's eat them! 12 days in Australia from Sydney to Cairns

oneworld82

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The last time I flew AA in First Class on its old 772 was back in September on my way back from Kazakhstan. What a mess of a flight that was. Only ok food, bad service… it really set my expectations for this upcoming flight low.

I was originally planning to fly on the new 77W in business class, but during the holidays AA is flying only old 772’s to London, and so I decided to go at least for a First Class seat to have a lie-flat situation. I will say right here that the flight wasn’t bad this time, thanks to a good crew and a great breakfast omelette.

Flight AA50 DFW-LHR, B777-200
December 23rd, 2014
First Class, Seat 2J



We boarded on time at 5.45 for our 6.25 departure. I settled down on my suite, and after a bit the flight attendant serving my aisle came by offering pre-departure beverages. I got some sparkling wine while playing with the amenities of the suite. I must say it straight away: I am not a big fan of the iPad cover case as amenity kit. Why? Well, it looks cheap. It IS cheap. If it were of good quality and from a good brand, sure – that would be a winner. But this sleeve REALLY looks cheap – and it’s Made in China nonetheless. I honestly like the business class amenity kit better. The products found inside are Dermalogica, a good brand but, again, not the Aesop found on Cathay Pacific or La Mer found Lufthansa. I feel like this is a typical cost-based decision that AA made missing the whole point that premium travelers care a lot about brands and that wouldn’t mind paying a premium for excellent service and amenities (and here I am talking about food, drinks, training, etc).









The flight ended up being delayed for about a hour for some mechanical issues, and my glass got refilled once – I didn’t go thirsty J Before departure the flight attendant passed by taking dinner orders. The menu looked very much ordinary, and I selected the beef as main course hoping that out of Dallas the meat would be good. I also opted in for the soup and salad, and the FA asked me whether Iwanted the turndown service or not (who wouldn’t want that??). Also, before leaving a cart with newspapers and pjs came by.









Once airborne, the dinner service promptly started. AA nuts are always very good, and I had them with a gin and tonic. Not too long after my appetizer was served (note: no amuse bouche). I had opted for the zucchini option which – while tasting good – was meager in substance and a little too chill.













That was followed by the pumpkin soup, which was very nice. I also liked the square plate it was served in.



Following the soup, the salad was brought out: I liked it a lot, as the lettuce was fresh and the pecans gave it just the right taste!





The pace of the meal was good, and wines were offered regularly. I opted for the Sangioveto red wine, which was alright but nothing fancy. Then the steak came. It was not too overcooked (although it was basically well-done), but it didn’t taste too good. Something was odd with it. The potatoes were very good though, while the spinach were salty. The mushrooms were good.







Last but not least, dessert came. I opted for the sundae – with butterscotch, whip cream, and nuts of course. As always, it was excellent and easily the best part of an otherwise only decent meal. As I already mentioned before, AA’s first class meals are a good business class-worthy; nothing less, nothing more.



After finishing dinner I waited for a bit for someone to offer turndown service, but since no one offered I just put the seat down and went to bed. Another small fail service-wise. I will say though that AA pjs, while ugly-looking, are very comfortable and functional.

I got three good hours of sleep, after which I was waken up (as requested) for breakfast. I decided to try the omelet, and to my surprise it was absolutely excellent! The potatoes and the sausage coming as side complemented the cheesy eggs very, very well! I was very happy to see that this breakfast was first class-worthy!







We landed about 20 minutes late in London, and in no time I was on my way to Terminal 5. Overall, this flight was ok – a step up from my last AA First Class flight in September but still miles away from the best first classes out there. Hopefully, when first class will only remain on the 77W’s things will improve.

dat4life

Personally, I think suburban moms are worse than the ladies of uptown, so I avoid the Shops at Willowbend around the holidays. Well, I actively avoid all malls around the holidays, come to think of it.

Anyhow, looking forward to the rest of your adventure!

Flyingfox

The third picture on the F flight to LHR on AA pretty much sums their superb "F" product up - the FA with her hands on her hips, frowning, staring at a passenger. That is just the perfect snapshot. And the appetiser is silly. How much did it cost to produce that, maybe 0.50 US?

The report is quite nice thus far!

MatthewLAX

What is so hard about placing silverware down instead of in a napkin with a paper wrapper around it? What is so hard about butter in a small dish instead of a wrapped pad, or salt and pepper in real shakers or jam in a jar? Such little things to make the first class experience just a tad more like...first class.

greg99

Great report - looking forward to the rest.

I think you're correct, but I have to ask - did you pay a revenue F fare for this flight?

If not, it doesn't make your comment inaccurate, but it illustrates why AA (like UA) makes the choices it does. Of course, it's a vicious cycle - nobody pays revenue F for a poor product, but the US carriers won't improve the product if nobody pays for it...

Greg

flyingstudent

Only four days at home? That's a very short visit.

Please post some food pictures from Italy. I want to see how Italians celebrate Christmas!

oneworld82

I didn't take too many, but I definitely took some. Coming up soon!

DanielW

Is the title of your book some kind of metaphor?

aireuropa0657

Great start!

The portions seem quite big for first class. They're supposed to be more refined, no?

oneworld82

Which book? I am confused lol

FlightCancelled

Since you haven't gotten so far in the writing process yet, and I am traveling in two days I'll just ask: how did you find the arrival/ground services at YYZ on the return flight when connecting to an U.S. flight? Never flown through Canada before on my way to the U.S. so I'm a bit curious on what to expect.

oneworld82

I like London Heathrow. I like connecting in Heathrow. I don’t know why many people hate it. I think, honestly, that this is a great and fun airport. I have transferred from T3 to T5 many times, and while the bus ride is, to put it mildly, somewhat archaic, I do like the British-ness of the airport and the feeling to it. Walking through the endless hallways and corridors you can’t help but feeling you really landed in one truly global place. Even more so than New York City. In its own way, London still IS the most global city on Earth. With class.

Once we landed I quickly made my way through the terminal to the bus to Terminal 5. The line was longer than I had imagined, but two buses came at once and in ~5 minutes I was on my way. After a 10 minute ride I was at T5. Since I was flying business class to Nice I had express lane access, which was not necessary today as lines wer epretty short. Security was much less painless than my last visit to T5, and in no time I was heading to the Galleries South Lounge.

On my way, I noticed some nice additions to the stores offering: new Louis Vuitton and Bottega Veneta stores had opened up since my last visit in November. Once at the lounge I headed straight to the Elemis Spa to take a shower. There were no lines, and I was on my way to freshen up in no time. It’s fun to see how in the last three years the same lady is still the shower main attendant – kudos to European job security! As I have reviewed before, British Airways shower stalls are not as fancy as some other airlines’ and rather small in size, but they are perfectly functional. They are in need of some upgrading though, even compared to American Airlines showers (very good, in my opinion).

I then headed to the lounge itself, where breakfast was still being served. The breakfast spread here is pretty good, but unfortunately the bacon sandwich – the single most-amazing piece of food at any lounge in the World for breakfast – is now gone. A spread of appetizing pastries plays king these days, as well as porridge and toasts and yogurt and fruit and juices. The (alcoholic) beverage selection is as good as always.

After about one hour it was time to go board my flight to Nice, so I proceeded to my gate. I went through the Club World boarding and took my seat in row 7. The flight to Nice – roughly two hours long – is operated by an Airbus a320. As you know, European Carrier intra-Europe’s business class is simply a normal economy class seat with the middle seat blocked. Nothing fancy, but perfectly acceptable for a short flight when the service is good.



After taking off the lunch service started. Choices for the day were salad with a prawn skewer or grilled chicken with steamed rice and veggies (if I remember correctly). I opted for the salad, which was fresh and came with boiled potatoes and hard-boiled egg. The prawn skewer (which had a piece of white fish as well) was really good. Bread rolls were offered, and the meal was completed by a chocolate mousse with tangerines and crumbled nuts on top (pretty tasty). A full drink service was operated, and I got some champagne, followed by tea and a glass of Bailey’s on the rocks.















As planes from London usually land in Nice coming from the West, I selected a seat on the left hand-side of the plane hoping to take some good pictures of Nice upon landing; unfortunately, this time we landed from the East, and so I couldn’t take any breathtaking pictures of the French Riviera. Yet, landing in Nice is always spectacular, as the airport is built on reclaimed land right on the coast.

Overall, I had another positive experience with British Airways. The service on this short-haul flight was as excellent as always, and this really makes all the difference in the World.

Kudos to BA, which I will fly in First from IAD to NBO via LHR in February.

oneworld82

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The Italian Riviera – and, as an extension, the French one – is home. I was born in the town of Bordighera – once a renowned resort for rich Englishmen tired of the cold of their own country – and I grew up in nearby Ventimiglia – a city whose history (and archeological remains) date back to the Romans.









While these two towns are bustling with activity in the summertime (the peak of the tourist season), they are quite dead in the wintertime. As I cover them in my previous trip reports to the area, I will not talk much about it now. Suffice to say that seeing family and spending Christmas with them is always amazing – Italians consider Christmas THE holiday of the year and it always involves getting together to eat huge amounts of food at home and at restaurants.









I have taken a few pictures of the meals I have enjoyed while over there, including an amazing Christmas lunch at Magiarge’, a spectacular restaurant in Bordighera and one of my favorite places to sample traditional, authentic Ligurian food.















Last but not least, my last meal in Ventimiglia was at a restaurant called La Caravella – the chef and owner is the chef at the Yacht Club in Monaco, ensuring quality food throughout the meal.







I am not even sure how much weight I gained… I just know it was an amazing time back home as usual!

oneworld82

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Flight LH1069, NCE-FRA
Dec 28th, 2014, 7:25a-8:55a
Business Class, Seat 1A
Airbus 319

My time home flew by quickly – luckily, in a way, as I am not sure my body can handle the rhythm of Italian eating and drinking anymore – and yes, that comes from someone living in Texas now.

Check in with Lufthansa was smooth, even though it took a little longer than expected as a coople of customers were checking in… tires. Like in car tires. And about a dozen of them. To say that it puzzled me it to understate it…



Anyways, after receiving my boarding card and waving my dad goodbye I went through security – always a breeze in Europe – and then I proceeded to the Aigle Azur lounge in the departures section of the terminal. This is the only lounge operated at NCE T1 (there are actually two, from the same operator, for non-Schengen flights). The lounge is rather basic but it does feature comfortable armchairs and a decent spread of breakfast items and beverages. Given that Nice is definitely not a business market, the size and quality of the lounge was actually pretty nice.













Boarding happened on time, and I proceeded to take my seat on today’s Airbus A319 (1A). Lufthansa’s short-haul business class is very similar to BA’s – standard seats with middle seat blocked. Color schemes are, of course, different.



No pre-departure beverages were offered, but at least we left on time for what the captain announced would be a 1h20m-long flight. Taking off from Nice, just like landing, is always spectacular: this time we coasted all the French and Italian Riviera all the way to Genoa, before turning north. The views that we got of the coast with the dramatic Alps and Appennines Mountains on the background were priceless.









Once we reached our cruising altitude, breakfast service started. There were no options, but everything came on a tray consisting of some good cured meat (bresaola) and cheese and then a bowl of fresh cheese (very similar to Greek yogurt in texture, but milder in taste) with fruit in the purest French fashion. Everything tasted very good; warm breads were offered (I went for a croissant, which was good), as well beverages. All in all, a very good breakfast for such a short flight.







Once approaching into Frankfurt we could enjoy some beautiful views of a snow-blanketed central Germany. Lighting wasn’t ideal for pictures though.



We landed perfectly on time at an apron position, and I was the first one to get off the plane. To my delight, a chauffeur with a beautiful Mercedes S Class was waiting for me to drive to the main terminal. The car was simply beautiful, and it showed me once more how well Lufthansa does First Class.