SFO777

How far will I go to avoid Air Canada's crappy A320 and service? LOL.

I'm off to Montréal this afternoon for meetings and a quick family visit, then to New Orleans for SFO777Jr's significant round number birthday. Mrs. SFO777 is flying solo to NOLA and I'll meet her there Saturday afternoon. Getting to Montréal from the west coast by lunch time is impossible without a redeye the night before. Resigned to a redeye, my options narrowed since JetBlue, DL and AA all wanted an arm and a leg for lie flats to New York. Then I remembered Cathay Pacific's YVR-JFK 77W and the best North American transcon flight. Mileage seats were indeed available on my date and I used some orphaned AsiaMiles to seal the deal.

I used Amex Pay with Points and the 50% rebate for my LAX-SEA-YVR First Class flights at a net cost of less then 10,000 Amex miles. And with these flights, I requalified for Flying Blue Silver into 2018. Not a lot of traffic this morning and I made it to LAX in just over an hour.







Since we're returning on Sunday on AA, I parked in the T4 garage.





And a couple minutes later was at T5.



















With 30 minutes to spare, I headed to the Sky Club which was really quite nice.













And a food spread that puts the Admirals Clubs and United Clubs to shame.



















At T-45, I headed to the gate where, despite the On Time note, the delayed LAX-JFK 767 was still occupying our gate.









Delta 1232
B717
1:00p-3:50p (sked)
1:20p-3:45p (actual)
January 11, 2017
Lunch

Pleasant SLC-based crew today and the usual DL pre-departure beverages.











For lunch today, a choice of BBQ chicken sliders or chicken quinoa, both with tomato bisque soup. Think I should have gone with the sliders as this salad was pretty tasteless.







As always, Dancing Deer is the best part of any DL meal.



Despite the late departure, we arrived pretty much on time at SEA.



I headed for the A1 Sky Club. Wow, for a domestic lounge, this one is very nice. And again much better food offerings than AA or UA clubs.



































Then there was this guy. Oy, back and forth and back and forth yapping on the phone. Jeez, just sit in one place so we know where to go to escape you.













I headed to the adjacent gate at T-30.





Delta 4540
CR7
5:10p-6:20p (sked)
6:30p-7:20p (actual)
January 11, 2017

Boarding today first for those that need extra time, then passengers with smaller children and then Priority.



On board, another great SEA-based crew offering open bar PDBs.









Only about 27 minutes in the air today and we pulled into Gate 90, a long, long, long way from customs.







I didn't even notice that I could have turned left and avoided customs and just gone to the lounge. Duh. Oh well, next time.

m3red

How was the lynch bages 04? Very good red usually ��

abeyro

Funny thing, to go US-US, you invented US-CAN-US
Luckily you did not need a Canadian visa (as you did not use the transit facility)

Madone59

Hahahah that is a a heck of a routing SFO777. Thanks for sharing ^

NashVegas37206

Can't wait to see the transcon flight pics. Forgot how good the Delta lounge in Seattle looks. Expanded beverage options and spa services too. I guess launching more flights from there to Asia has been matched by investment in the experience. Not equal to int'l carriers, but incremental improvement.

diningdecadence

subscribed!

Dieuwer

Requalifying Flying Blue Silver?

Oformula

As a US Passport Holder, SFO777 would not need a visa.

Regardless, I'm looking forward to a trip report of the YVR-JFK CX flight as a "domestic" product, and not a gateway to Hong Kong.

FlightNurse

I'm not sure he has a US Passport, but I could be wrong.

Short hair Francis

A Little Disrespect!!!

No mention of your fellow passenger in 1K?

Have to say talking through the YVR Holding Room glass gaps between HKG transit and YVR originating passenger was a dooze!
Felt like being in jail

EuropeanPete

From the Cathay F lounge onwards, it does not feel remotely like a "domestic" product. Back in the day if you booked a HKG-YVR flight on the same ticket it would work out at just 35,000 BA miles per leg.

EuropeanPete

Double post (thanks AMM wifi).

SFO777

With NEXUS, I was thru customs and outside in a couple of minutes. Then followed the signs to International Departures.









There was no other passenger at either the First or Business Class check-in lanes and I had my boarding pass in no time. Then headed to security and the CX Lounge.



Fast Track was uselss since there were not a lot of passengers. It just fed to the back of the line of only a dozen or so.











Don't you just love when you have to thru the duty free stores to get to the gates?















Just above gate D67 is the Cathay Pacific Lounge which was renovated about 6 months ago, and is still very new and nice.













Although the serve yourself food offerings were a little weak.





But there was a kitchen and noodle bar. The dishes I saw looked pretty good.







The Piper was servicable.



But Lindeman's??



Time to relax.

SFO777

I headed out to the gate at around T-35.





Only to find the gate locked. Transit pax from the inbound HKG-YVR flight had not yet boarded so YVR pax had to chill outside. Among the transit pax was Short hair Francis would I was joining on board, he in 1K, me in 2K. We were able to chat in the small gap between panes of glass. LOL.





After about a 20 minute wait, we were finally allowed and boarded immediately.

Vancouver-New York JFK
Cathay Pacific 888
777-300ER (77W)
9:50p-6:00a +1 (sked)
10:20p-6:00a +1 (actual)
Departed 8/8
Suite 2K



Even though it's been around for a while, I still love the 1-1-1 cabin.











One of our two wonderful FA's tonight, Jutha will one of many glasses.









Meh.



Tonight's menu.



















Showtime.









The salmon and scallop starter was delicious.



And the sweet personalized note.





Mushroom soup... yummy.



Oh yeah...





The tenderloin was outstanding and perfectly prepared.



And with bearnaise. OMG.











Yeah, I think I'm full. After the decadent dinner, JoJo converted my seat to a bed and I was able to get about 90 minutes of sleep.





What an amazing but all too short flight. Hands down, the best North American transcon flight. And now the letdown, the trek to Terminal 8 and American.

SFO777

It was quite nice with the tenderloin.

Thanks abeyro.

Correct. Thank you Oformula.

US passport.

Thanks very much Madone59.

Thank you NashVegas37206. DL has done a great job with that SEA lounge. Right up there with the best domestic lounge of any NA airline.

Thanks diningdecadence.

Only Flying Blue elites can book AF First Class award seats.

Patience, patience. I hadn't even gotten to that part yet.

Indeed. A true international First experience on a transcon. Thanks EuropeanPete.