AA J Across The Pond + 2600mi Roadtrip In The USA
Jul 21, 2017, 2:52 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,529
AA J Across The Pond + 2600mi Roadtrip In The USA
Hey folks,
I have just returned from an incredible road trip through the Southern States and want to share this amazing trip with you.
First of all, let me give you some information about our flights:
01.07.17, BA711, ZRH-LHR, A320 (A7-LAA, operated by Qatar Airways), 3F
01.07.17, BA1394, LHR-MAN, A320 (G-TTOE), 1A
02.07.17, AA735, MAN-PHL, A332 (N280AY), 1H
02.07.17, AA466, PHL-CLT, A321 (N538UW), 1A
02.07.17, AA1814, CLT-SAT, A319 (N768US), 1A
14.07.17, AA1573, SAT-ORD, MD83 (N979TW), 4A
14.07.17, AA54, ORD-MAN, B763 (N349AN), 2A
15.07.17, BA1395, MAN-LHR, A320 (G-EUYP), 1A
15.07.17, BA718, LHR-ZRH, A320 (G-EUUX), 1A
The positioning flights were booked as award flights with Avios, the AA transatlantic flights were booked on January 26th 2017 for £1043 each.
This trip report will feature 4 main installments:
1. Positioning to MAN and Manchester
2. AA across the pond in J
3. Roadtripping 2600mi throughout the Southern States
4. AA back to Europe + Chicago layover
Then, I will add 4 installments about the following museums:
5. US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama
6. National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida
7. World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana
8. NASA Space Center in Houston, Texas
I hope to publish this fairly quickly, so sit back, relax, and enjoy this trip report!
I apologize for the different picture sizes. Some pictures were taken with my iPhone whereas other pictures were taken with my Nikon D7200.
I have just returned from an incredible road trip through the Southern States and want to share this amazing trip with you.
First of all, let me give you some information about our flights:
01.07.17, BA711, ZRH-LHR, A320 (A7-LAA, operated by Qatar Airways), 3F
01.07.17, BA1394, LHR-MAN, A320 (G-TTOE), 1A
02.07.17, AA735, MAN-PHL, A332 (N280AY), 1H
02.07.17, AA466, PHL-CLT, A321 (N538UW), 1A
02.07.17, AA1814, CLT-SAT, A319 (N768US), 1A
14.07.17, AA1573, SAT-ORD, MD83 (N979TW), 4A
14.07.17, AA54, ORD-MAN, B763 (N349AN), 2A
15.07.17, BA1395, MAN-LHR, A320 (G-EUYP), 1A
15.07.17, BA718, LHR-ZRH, A320 (G-EUUX), 1A
The positioning flights were booked as award flights with Avios, the AA transatlantic flights were booked on January 26th 2017 for £1043 each.
This trip report will feature 4 main installments:
1. Positioning to MAN and Manchester
2. AA across the pond in J
3. Roadtripping 2600mi throughout the Southern States
4. AA back to Europe + Chicago layover
Then, I will add 4 installments about the following museums:
5. US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama
6. National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida
7. World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana
8. NASA Space Center in Houston, Texas
I hope to publish this fairly quickly, so sit back, relax, and enjoy this trip report!
I apologize for the different picture sizes. Some pictures were taken with my iPhone whereas other pictures were taken with my Nikon D7200.
Last edited by florens; Jul 21, 2017 at 6:30 am
Jul 21, 2017, 2:52 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,529
Installment 1: To Manchester and Manchester
Installment 1: Positioning To Manchester and Manchester
As always, I have checked in online at T-24h for our flights from ZRH to MAN via LHR and everything worked well. Later in the day I have noticed that our BA711 rotation would be operated by Qatar Airways due to BA’s mixed fleet strike. BA’s app or website were not able to provide any more information than that. I was worried about the seat assignment, mainly because Qatar has a fixed business class cabin and also because Expertflyer didn’t show row 1 anymore. I was fairly confused about the configuration of A7-LAA, the ex Al Maha aircraft. I realized that I couldn’t do anything at that point and decided to sort this out at the airport.
During checkin at the desk I asked the agent what would happen to our row 1 assignment and he replied ‘you are now in row 3’. I must say we have been really lucky. I have overheard other folks being downgraded, even though Qatar could have operated the flight with a middle seat block just as BA would have done. Anyway, I then grabbed following information which was lying around:
The agent was not proactive in providing information, I basically knew we would be on a Qatar airplane because I noticed this myself.
At this point I was very happy about the change. Qatar’s planes have recliner seats with more space and the flights would also be operated by Qatar’s crews which I have found to be exceptional in the past.
Let’s go then!
Boarding time:
The seats were spacious and the airplane in an impeccable state:
Legroom is obviuously much better than on BA’s A320s.
Ready to leave Zurich now!
We were even offered a pre-departure beverage, which was unexpected but highly appreciated!
The catering was the same as on BA’s flight. I find the ‘new’ BA catering nicely presented but underwhelming. The portion sizes are really small and the meals lack of variation unfortunately.
After landing at Heathrow we met a fellow FTer, When I Travel The World, who was on a flight to Tallinn which, incidentally, was operated by the very same plane. He reviewed the flight here:
We enjoyed a couple of bubbles in the Galleries First lounge and then headed to the gate for our flight to Manchester.
Back to reality I would say: Cramped seating and dirty planes:
Not much more to say about this quick 35 minutes hop though!
After landing we checked in to the ibis styles Portland street which we found a very nicely decorated hotel and fine for just one night:
It was now time to head to the John Rylands Library, which we wanted to visit for a while now:
We then walked past Manchester Cathedral and since the weather was quite nice many folks were enjoying their beers outside:
We grabbed dinner and went to bed early as we would have a long day ahead of us.
As always, I have checked in online at T-24h for our flights from ZRH to MAN via LHR and everything worked well. Later in the day I have noticed that our BA711 rotation would be operated by Qatar Airways due to BA’s mixed fleet strike. BA’s app or website were not able to provide any more information than that. I was worried about the seat assignment, mainly because Qatar has a fixed business class cabin and also because Expertflyer didn’t show row 1 anymore. I was fairly confused about the configuration of A7-LAA, the ex Al Maha aircraft. I realized that I couldn’t do anything at that point and decided to sort this out at the airport.
During checkin at the desk I asked the agent what would happen to our row 1 assignment and he replied ‘you are now in row 3’. I must say we have been really lucky. I have overheard other folks being downgraded, even though Qatar could have operated the flight with a middle seat block just as BA would have done. Anyway, I then grabbed following information which was lying around:
The agent was not proactive in providing information, I basically knew we would be on a Qatar airplane because I noticed this myself.
At this point I was very happy about the change. Qatar’s planes have recliner seats with more space and the flights would also be operated by Qatar’s crews which I have found to be exceptional in the past.
Let’s go then!
Boarding time:
The seats were spacious and the airplane in an impeccable state:
Legroom is obviuously much better than on BA’s A320s.
Ready to leave Zurich now!
We were even offered a pre-departure beverage, which was unexpected but highly appreciated!
The catering was the same as on BA’s flight. I find the ‘new’ BA catering nicely presented but underwhelming. The portion sizes are really small and the meals lack of variation unfortunately.
After landing at Heathrow we met a fellow FTer, When I Travel The World, who was on a flight to Tallinn which, incidentally, was operated by the very same plane. He reviewed the flight here:
We enjoyed a couple of bubbles in the Galleries First lounge and then headed to the gate for our flight to Manchester.
Back to reality I would say: Cramped seating and dirty planes:
Not much more to say about this quick 35 minutes hop though!
After landing we checked in to the ibis styles Portland street which we found a very nicely decorated hotel and fine for just one night:
It was now time to head to the John Rylands Library, which we wanted to visit for a while now:
We then walked past Manchester Cathedral and since the weather was quite nice many folks were enjoying their beers outside:
We grabbed dinner and went to bed early as we would have a long day ahead of us.
Last edited by florens; Jul 24, 2017 at 3:51 am
Jul 21, 2017, 2:53 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,529
Installment 2: Across the Pond in AA J
Installment 2: AA Across The Pond
Before heading to the airport we enjoyed the delicious breakfast at the hotel.
We then took Uber to the airport which costed £15.95 and took about 25 minutes.
We checked in at the desk and were asked a couple of questions as always when one is off to the US. After we received our boarding passes I quickly saw the infamous SSSS on my boarding pass. We headed to the BA lounge (which American uses) and had a glass of champagne. At this point we were very excited and couldn’t await boarding.
‘Our’ A330
Ready to go!
Time to board
Boarding started with a slight delay at 30 minutes before departure and as expected my bags were checked again in the jetway. This was quick though and I then headed to my seat 1H.
I knew AA’s A330s would not be the newest planes and cabins out there but honestly they are fine. You could see some scratches here and there but that didn’t bother me at all.
I settled in, enjoyed the pre-departure champagne and had a look at the menu. I had pre-ordered the beef.
After takeoff:
Before having lunch I enjoyed a G&T with nuts:
While I liked the portion sizes of AA’s meals, the starters were not to my liking, but the main course was delicious:
Coffee and sundae
I was very impressed with AA’s crews. The flight attendants were very friendly and funny and took very good care of us. The seat was very comfortable with a much larger foot cubby than what you would find on the reverse herringbone seats onboard for example Qatar Airways. The inflight entertainment featured a good selection of movies, the screen was a bit small though. Today’s flight was completely full up front by the way:
I was a bit tired at this point so I slept for a couple of hours.
The pre-arrival meal was served about 90 minutes before landing and was very filling and cheesy:
We had a beautiful view over Cape Cod
Approaching Philadelphia:
Our flight was basically the first transatlantic flight to arrive (albeit with a 30 minute delay) so immigration was a breeze. Unfortunately we then had to wait over 30 minutes for our luggage to arrive in order to clear customs. This meant that we were running through over to concourse B to board our plane to CLT. We were the last passengers to board. Unfortunately, our plane had a technical issue which meant we had a departure delay of nearly 60 minutes.
Row 1 of AA’s A321
This flight was short and uneventful, we were served drinks and snacks with frequent top-ups.
After landing in CLT we walked to departure gate for our flight to SAT. Boarding was underway when we arrived so we boarded too.
Our A319
Small First Class cabin with only 8 seats:
I ordered a G&T after departure:
The meal, which I also preordered, was very filling and delicious:
The flight was uneventful. There were some bumps after departure due to CBs and after dinner I napped for a while as I was getting tired.
Approaching hazy San Antonio:
After landing I was able to take this amazing picture:
We took a cab and headed to the hotel and went straight to sleep.
Before heading to the airport we enjoyed the delicious breakfast at the hotel.
We then took Uber to the airport which costed £15.95 and took about 25 minutes.
We checked in at the desk and were asked a couple of questions as always when one is off to the US. After we received our boarding passes I quickly saw the infamous SSSS on my boarding pass. We headed to the BA lounge (which American uses) and had a glass of champagne. At this point we were very excited and couldn’t await boarding.
‘Our’ A330
Ready to go!
Time to board
Boarding started with a slight delay at 30 minutes before departure and as expected my bags were checked again in the jetway. This was quick though and I then headed to my seat 1H.
I knew AA’s A330s would not be the newest planes and cabins out there but honestly they are fine. You could see some scratches here and there but that didn’t bother me at all.
I settled in, enjoyed the pre-departure champagne and had a look at the menu. I had pre-ordered the beef.
After takeoff:
Before having lunch I enjoyed a G&T with nuts:
While I liked the portion sizes of AA’s meals, the starters were not to my liking, but the main course was delicious:
Coffee and sundae
I was very impressed with AA’s crews. The flight attendants were very friendly and funny and took very good care of us. The seat was very comfortable with a much larger foot cubby than what you would find on the reverse herringbone seats onboard for example Qatar Airways. The inflight entertainment featured a good selection of movies, the screen was a bit small though. Today’s flight was completely full up front by the way:
I was a bit tired at this point so I slept for a couple of hours.
The pre-arrival meal was served about 90 minutes before landing and was very filling and cheesy:
We had a beautiful view over Cape Cod
Approaching Philadelphia:
Our flight was basically the first transatlantic flight to arrive (albeit with a 30 minute delay) so immigration was a breeze. Unfortunately we then had to wait over 30 minutes for our luggage to arrive in order to clear customs. This meant that we were running through over to concourse B to board our plane to CLT. We were the last passengers to board. Unfortunately, our plane had a technical issue which meant we had a departure delay of nearly 60 minutes.
Row 1 of AA’s A321
This flight was short and uneventful, we were served drinks and snacks with frequent top-ups.
After landing in CLT we walked to departure gate for our flight to SAT. Boarding was underway when we arrived so we boarded too.
Our A319
Small First Class cabin with only 8 seats:
I ordered a G&T after departure:
The meal, which I also preordered, was very filling and delicious:
The flight was uneventful. There were some bumps after departure due to CBs and after dinner I napped for a while as I was getting tired.
Approaching hazy San Antonio:
After landing I was able to take this amazing picture:
We took a cab and headed to the hotel and went straight to sleep.
Last edited by florens; Jul 21, 2017 at 4:20 am
Jul 21, 2017, 2:53 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,529
Installment 3: Roadtripping
Installment 3: Road trip
Our road trip would take us through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama with a very quick side trip to Florida.
Some information about the hotels we stayed at with the prices per night (without tax):
July 2nd: SpringHill Suites by Marriott San Antonio Airport, King Room, $109
July 3rd: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Austin Northwest Arboretum, King Room, $110
July 4th: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dallas - Campbell Centre, King Room, $120
July 5th: Home2 Suites by Hilton West Monroe, King Studio, $108 [Hotel Thread on FT]
July 6th: Redmont Hotel Birmingham, Curio Collection by Hilton, King Room, $108 [Hotel Thread on FT]
July 7th: Redmont Hotel Birmingham, Curio Collection by Hilton, King Room, $108
July 8th: The Admiral Hotel Mobile, Curio Collection by Hilton, King Room, $95 [Hotel Thread on FT]
July 9th: Q&C Hotel Bar New Orleans, Autograph Collection, King Room with City View $119 [Hotel Thread on FT]
July 10th: Q&C Hotel Bar New Orleans, Autograph Collection, King Room with City View $119
July 11th: Hilton Houston Galleria Area, King Room, $116 [Hotel Thread on FT]
July 12th: Home2 Suites by Hilton Houston/Katy, King Studio, $106
July 13th: Home2 Suites by Hilton San Antonio Airport, TX, King Studio, $126 [Hotel Thread on FT]
We started our road trip by exploring the Texas Hill Country.
Fredericksburg, TX
Picnic time!
Lockheed Jetstar at Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site, TX
Austin, TX
Texas State Capitol, Austin, TX
South Congress Street, Austin, TX
On the way to Dallas, TX
Dallas, TX
[
Caddo Lake State Park, TX
Hello, Louisiana!
Shreveport, LA
View of Downtown Shreevport seen from Bossier City, LA
Vicksburg, MS
Mississippi State Capitol, Jackson, MS
Somewhere in Alabama
Birmingham, AL
Sloss Furnaces
Dinner at Bistro Two Eighteen
Bankhead National Forest, AL
Montgomery, AL
Alabama State Capitol, Montgomery, AL
Florida
Gulf Beach, FL
Mobile, AL
USS Alabama in Mobile, AL
Biloxi, MS
Honey Island Swamp
New Orleans, LA
Steamboat Natchez
Dinner at Restaurant August
Louisiana
Oak Alley Plantation
Louisana State Capitol, Baton Rouge, LA
Heading west in Louisiana
Houston rush hour traffic
Houston skyline at night
Largest freeway in the world – 26 lanes!
Drive-in theatre in Hockley, TX. Only $8 for a double feature!
Luling, TX
San Antonio, TX
Our road trip would take us through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama with a very quick side trip to Florida.
Some information about the hotels we stayed at with the prices per night (without tax):
July 2nd: SpringHill Suites by Marriott San Antonio Airport, King Room, $109
July 3rd: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Austin Northwest Arboretum, King Room, $110
July 4th: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dallas - Campbell Centre, King Room, $120
July 5th: Home2 Suites by Hilton West Monroe, King Studio, $108 [Hotel Thread on FT]
July 6th: Redmont Hotel Birmingham, Curio Collection by Hilton, King Room, $108 [Hotel Thread on FT]
July 7th: Redmont Hotel Birmingham, Curio Collection by Hilton, King Room, $108
July 8th: The Admiral Hotel Mobile, Curio Collection by Hilton, King Room, $95 [Hotel Thread on FT]
July 9th: Q&C Hotel Bar New Orleans, Autograph Collection, King Room with City View $119 [Hotel Thread on FT]
July 10th: Q&C Hotel Bar New Orleans, Autograph Collection, King Room with City View $119
July 11th: Hilton Houston Galleria Area, King Room, $116 [Hotel Thread on FT]
July 12th: Home2 Suites by Hilton Houston/Katy, King Studio, $106
July 13th: Home2 Suites by Hilton San Antonio Airport, TX, King Studio, $126 [Hotel Thread on FT]
We started our road trip by exploring the Texas Hill Country.
Fredericksburg, TX
Picnic time!
Lockheed Jetstar at Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site, TX
Austin, TX
Texas State Capitol, Austin, TX
South Congress Street, Austin, TX
On the way to Dallas, TX
Dallas, TX
[
Caddo Lake State Park, TX
Hello, Louisiana!
Shreveport, LA
View of Downtown Shreevport seen from Bossier City, LA
Vicksburg, MS
Mississippi State Capitol, Jackson, MS
Somewhere in Alabama
Birmingham, AL
Sloss Furnaces
Dinner at Bistro Two Eighteen
Bankhead National Forest, AL
Montgomery, AL
Alabama State Capitol, Montgomery, AL
Florida
Gulf Beach, FL
Mobile, AL
USS Alabama in Mobile, AL
Biloxi, MS
Honey Island Swamp
New Orleans, LA
Steamboat Natchez
Dinner at Restaurant August
Louisiana
Oak Alley Plantation
Louisana State Capitol, Baton Rouge, LA
Heading west in Louisiana
Houston rush hour traffic
Houston skyline at night
Largest freeway in the world – 26 lanes!
Drive-in theatre in Hockley, TX. Only $8 for a double feature!
Luling, TX
San Antonio, TX
Last edited by florens; Jul 21, 2017 at 7:32 am
Jul 21, 2017, 2:54 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,529
Installment 4: AA back to Europe + Chicago Layover
Installment 4: Back to Europe and Chicago layover
We had an early start as we left the hotel at 5.30am to return our rental car and check in for our 8.21am flight to Chicago which would be operated by a Super 80!
Beautiful sunrise at San Antonio Airport:
Our gate was first occupied by an A319 bound for Charlotte and after that flight had left our MD83 was towed to the gate:
The cabin interior felt very nostalgic, but the seats were comfortable nonetheless:
We had an excellent crew on this flight. I chatted quite a bit with the flight attendant who was very friendly. In general I found all our AA crews to be excellent and I would certainly not hesitate to fly AA again in the future.
It is time to say goodbye, San Antonio!
Enroute
Breakfast was so so, but I am anyway not a fan of breakfasts in airplanes, so my view might be biased somewhat.
After landing the friendly captain let me sit down in the captain’s seat before they continued to Dallas Fort-Worth:
We had a couple of hours layover in Chicago and decided to wander around the Loop. We had been to Chicago in 2015 and liked it very much in the Windy City.
We then headed back to the airport. Terminal 3 was quite busy this evening
Since AA is currently refurbishing their Flagship Lounges we headed to the Admirals Club to have a shower. Unfortunately, there was no space left for drinks or dinner at the lounge so we headed to the small Flagship lounge (which doesn't have showers) at the end of the pier by gate K18. We wouldn't have found that lounge as it was not signposted at all, so we used the AA app instead to find it. The staff there was very friendly and the lounge was really quiet. We had a drink and then headed to our gate K12.
Our 767 with a yellow nose:
The crew on this flight was outstanding. One flight attendant who served my aisle has been flying for 37 years and was extremely professional, friendly, proactive and funny. He told me that back in the day when he flew for Eastern he even was starring a couple of times in Miami Vice.
I had chosen seat 2A (this is the first row) which offers plenty of privacy but was not comfortable at all for sitting upright or lounging because it was so low. It was fine for sleeping, really, since the foot cubby was pretty wide. There was not much storage either unfortunately.
Cabin overview
Legroom is obviously not an issue here:
Nice view
I had again pre-ordered my main and chose the "southern style chicken". The menu reads as follows:
PDB champagne, and I even got a refill!
Leaving Chicago with a beautiful view
Amazing views after departure as we flew into sunset
G&T
Again, as on the previous transatlantic flight, I didn’t like the starters but the main was very delicious and filling:
Sleeping time!
We arrived early in Manchester and immigration was swift. There was again a little wait for our luggage but it was fine. Before heading home we quickly checked our baggage back in at the BA counter and headed to town to have breakfast. After a couple of hours in town we headed back to Manchester Airport and flew home with BA. During our layover in London we headed to the First Class lounge and enjoyed their Gin tasting bar which was set up:
Seat 1C on BA718 to Zurich
We arrived home after a long day of travelling but with great memories of an outstanding trip.
We had an early start as we left the hotel at 5.30am to return our rental car and check in for our 8.21am flight to Chicago which would be operated by a Super 80!
Beautiful sunrise at San Antonio Airport:
Our gate was first occupied by an A319 bound for Charlotte and after that flight had left our MD83 was towed to the gate:
The cabin interior felt very nostalgic, but the seats were comfortable nonetheless:
We had an excellent crew on this flight. I chatted quite a bit with the flight attendant who was very friendly. In general I found all our AA crews to be excellent and I would certainly not hesitate to fly AA again in the future.
It is time to say goodbye, San Antonio!
Enroute
Breakfast was so so, but I am anyway not a fan of breakfasts in airplanes, so my view might be biased somewhat.
After landing the friendly captain let me sit down in the captain’s seat before they continued to Dallas Fort-Worth:
We had a couple of hours layover in Chicago and decided to wander around the Loop. We had been to Chicago in 2015 and liked it very much in the Windy City.
We then headed back to the airport. Terminal 3 was quite busy this evening
Since AA is currently refurbishing their Flagship Lounges we headed to the Admirals Club to have a shower. Unfortunately, there was no space left for drinks or dinner at the lounge so we headed to the small Flagship lounge (which doesn't have showers) at the end of the pier by gate K18. We wouldn't have found that lounge as it was not signposted at all, so we used the AA app instead to find it. The staff there was very friendly and the lounge was really quiet. We had a drink and then headed to our gate K12.
Our 767 with a yellow nose:
The crew on this flight was outstanding. One flight attendant who served my aisle has been flying for 37 years and was extremely professional, friendly, proactive and funny. He told me that back in the day when he flew for Eastern he even was starring a couple of times in Miami Vice.
I had chosen seat 2A (this is the first row) which offers plenty of privacy but was not comfortable at all for sitting upright or lounging because it was so low. It was fine for sleeping, really, since the foot cubby was pretty wide. There was not much storage either unfortunately.
Cabin overview
Legroom is obviously not an issue here:
Nice view
I had again pre-ordered my main and chose the "southern style chicken". The menu reads as follows:
PDB champagne, and I even got a refill!
Leaving Chicago with a beautiful view
Amazing views after departure as we flew into sunset
G&T
Again, as on the previous transatlantic flight, I didn’t like the starters but the main was very delicious and filling:
Sleeping time!
We arrived early in Manchester and immigration was swift. There was again a little wait for our luggage but it was fine. Before heading home we quickly checked our baggage back in at the BA counter and headed to town to have breakfast. After a couple of hours in town we headed back to Manchester Airport and flew home with BA. During our layover in London we headed to the First Class lounge and enjoyed their Gin tasting bar which was set up:
Seat 1C on BA718 to Zurich
We arrived home after a long day of travelling but with great memories of an outstanding trip.
Last edited by florens; Jul 21, 2017 at 7:11 am
Jul 21, 2017, 2:55 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,529
Installment 5: US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama
Installment 5: The US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama
This Saturn V is massive!
I found it very impressive to see a Space Shuttle up close!
T-38 Talon
Very impressive to see an A-12 up close
This Saturn V is massive!
I found it very impressive to see a Space Shuttle up close!
T-38 Talon
Very impressive to see an A-12 up close
Last edited by florens; Jul 21, 2017 at 1:07 pm
Jul 21, 2017, 2:55 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,529
Installment 6: National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida
Installment 6: National Naval Aviation Museum, NAS Pensacola, Florida
This museum is huge and has many very interesting aircraft on exhibit:
This museum is huge and has many very interesting aircraft on exhibit:
Last edited by florens; Jul 21, 2017 at 1:14 pm
Jul 21, 2017, 2:56 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,529
Installment 7: World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana
Installment 7: WWII Museum, New Orleans, LA
Last edited by florens; Jul 23, 2017 at 6:44 am
Jul 21, 2017, 2:56 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,529
Installment 8: NASA Space Center in Houston, Texas
Installment 8: NASA Space Center Houston, Texas
Last edited by florens; Jul 21, 2017 at 1:19 pm
Jul 21, 2017, 5:39 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,145
Ha! Seat 1H, my wife's favourite AA A330 TATL seat!! And you had the PHL cheesesteak sandwich before arrival too!! Very culturally appropriate. We'll be doing some similar AA stuff next month: DUB-CLT-LAX-OGG.
See the "PHX2" trip report in my signature
See the "PHX2" trip report in my signature
Jul 21, 2017, 7:13 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,529
I really enjoyed those flights. Honestly my expectations were low but actually I think I somewhat prefer flying AA to flying QR. Of course QR's planes are newer and dine on board is really nice, but the crews on QR tend to be reserved and doing their job exactly by the book whereas AA's crews were more funny and entertaining. I would fly AA again any day without hesitating. Let's hope for a couple of good deals again soon!
Jul 21, 2017, 8:27 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,145
I really enjoyed those flights. Honestly my expectations were low but actually I think I somewhat prefer flying AA to flying QR. Of course QR's planes are newer and dine on board is really nice, but the crews on QR tend to be reserved and doing their job exactly by the book whereas AA's crews were more funny and entertaining. I would fly AA again any day without hesitating. Let's hope for a couple of good deals again soon!
Great photos too ^ Some of those are particularly helpful for our travel plans for 2018/19. And some of the scenery is soooooo familiar ... thunderstorms on the near horizon, big empty Interstate highway, multiple lanes on the city highways.
We're well used to the Washington Beltway, which gets up to a similar size at the 495/66 interchange. And for many years we coped with the construction of the Springfield Interchange which is really high-speed scary! It looks even better on Google Earth now it's finished ["The new interchange has 50 ramps and bridges, is 24 lanes at its widest point,"] ... during construction over several years it was even more confusing/exciting, with traffic moving at 60mph+ and a new road layout every time we used it!
Last edited by T8191; Jul 22, 2017 at 3:15 am Reason: typos
Jul 21, 2017, 9:18 am
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,529
As a Swiss I find interchanges and large freeway fascinating as we don't have that here.
I recently read something about DDIs which I found amazing too:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dive...nd_interchange
I often saw U-turn lanes to get from one side of the interetate to the other that were dedicated so you didn't need to cross the road twice at the intersections. Very smart indeed. And HOV lanes are very useful too for us of course.
I recently read something about DDIs which I found amazing too:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dive...nd_interchange
I often saw U-turn lanes to get from one side of the interetate to the other that were dedicated so you didn't need to cross the road twice at the intersections. Very smart indeed. And HOV lanes are very useful too for us of course.
Last edited by florens; Jul 21, 2017 at 1:25 pm Reason: fixed URL
