Seat 2A

Were one to fly nonstop between Alice Springs, located in Central Australia’s Simpson Desert, and Tecopa Springs, located on the southern edge of Death Valley in California’s Mojave Desert, the distance would be 8,316 miles.

Two important factors inhibit the implementation of nonstop air service between these two communities. First, neither has an airport capable of accommodating aircraft such as the Airbus A340-500 that could fly the requisite distance nonstop. Second, the seating capacity of the A340 is approximately five times greater than the entire population of Tecopa Springs. With assumedly few exceptions, most of which have probably involved excessive drinking, the demand for nonstop service between these two towns simply isn’t there. And, if population trends continue at their present rate, transporter beams will probably be operational before anything bigger than a 737 ever lands in Tecopa Springs. It’s my kind of town, alright.

Nobody I spoke with could remember the last time anyone in Alice Springs had ever wanted to go to Tecopa Springs. I may the first person ever to desire, much less plan to travel between these two towns. Why do I want to go to Tecopa Springs? To be honest, I was trying to think of a good title for this trip report and nothing was really working. I knew I’d be doing a road trip out west when I got back to the states, but I didn’t have any set itinerary. I usually never do. Then Tecopa Springs sprung to mind. 120 miles by road from Las Vegas, but way out in the desert still miles from any major highways.

I’m kind of drawn to these distant corners of the world that lie far off the beaten track.

Te Anau, New Zealand

St. Johns, Newfoundland

Kalgoorlie, Australia

Churchill, Canada

Swakopmund, Namibia

Ushuaia, Argentina

Kaamanen, Finland

Adak, Alaska

I’ve made my way to some pretty remote destinations over the years. It’s time to add Tecopa Springs to the list. Besides, going from one springs to another sounds like a better title for this trip report than going from say, Alice Springs to Miami.

Traveling between Alice Springs and Tecopa Springs provides an excellent opportunity to explore some interesting and diverse routings and modes of transport. For the faint of heart, Qantas offers a convenient one-stop connection via Sydney to Los Angeles, after which Tecopa Springs is only a six hour drive away. Well geez, feed me strained pudding and weak tea through a straw for the rest of my life too, why don’t cha? What else is there?

Well how ‘bout this routing to starch your shorts? Alice Springs to Sydney via Qantas 737-800, followed by a First Class suite aboard a succession of British Airways wide bodies across Asia, Europe and the South Atlantic to Miami. Add a train ride 300 miles up to northern Florida, then throw in a couple of American MD-80s via Dallas to Denver. From there, I’ll pick up a Chrysler 300 and head off across the Rocky Mountains and the Great American Basin to Tecopa Springs, 1190 miles distant.

Yep, I think that’ll work.

Now the question you’ve got to ask yourselves is: Do you want to read about it? A recent thread asks what factors contribute to a good trip report. In this regard, beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, or reader as the case may be. Any success I’ve had in writing trip reports comes from being able to describe what I’m seeing and/or experiencing in such a way that readers can hopefully relate to those impressions in much the same way as I am. I’d like to think I’ve achieved some measure of success when people comment that they felt like they were seated right across the aisle from me. At the same time, while I appreciate that my trip reports are very popular with some folks, I’ve no doubt there are just as many FTers who’d sooner undergo a root canal than struggle through one of my reports. To each our own.

The basis of my reporting is and always has been my love of travel. Specifically, I love going places. To me, “going” means physically being in motion whilst getting from one point to another. It doesn’t mean being there. Those who want to read about being in Alice Springs or Tecopa Springs should go buy a travel magazine. Stolid pragmatic types who can’t be bothered with what they consider “too much” detail about the airport lounges, the inflight meals including menu transcripts and pictures, the seating comfort or my general musings from a life spent traveling should turn back now and save themselves a lot of angst. There are plenty of other good trip reports just a tap of the back button away. G'wan now...

Alrighty then ~ it’s a beautiful day for flying so let’s head on out to Alice Springs Airport and check in for that first flight.

NOTE: I’ve loaded some pictures as part of the report, however for those of you who’d like to see ALL of the pictures, just click HERE.
There is a problem with the photo hosting site that won't be repaired until mid-November. Unfortunately, many of the pictures won't show up until then. I apologize for the inconvenience.



ANOTHER NOTE The report covering outbound portion of this trip can be found HERE.

Seat 2A

March 31, 2008
Alice Springs - Sydney
Qantas Airways Economy Class
Boeing 737-800 VH-VYL

Located about 10 miles south of the city center, Alice Springs Airport may well be the nicest little airport I have ever been in. The modern terminal building is attractively designed, spacious and blissfully air conditioned. Check-in was handled quickly and efficiently, an area in which – from my experience, at least – Qantas excels. I asked for and received an exit row seat, so once again I offered thanks to the seating gods. Every time I’ve flown in Economy Class on this trip, I’ve sat in an exit row seat.




Once past security, passengers have a variety of options available aside from a seat in the gate lounge. Cafe Alice offers coffee, meals and snacks. The Todd River Ale House looks like a nice place to relax over a cold beer or a cocktail. Both of these establishments have access to a large outside patio for those who enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of an airport with their food and drink. A fairly large gift shop offered overpriced clothing and Aboriginal artifacts. A touristy Australian T-Shirt was selling for $26.00. Another shop sold opals and other locally made jewelry. I ignored all these and made my way to the Runway News Agency where I purchased a copy of the local news. Cops Shoot Giant Croc Chasing Drunk Swimmer! screamed the headline. I couldn’t resist. I took a seat in the gate lounge and looked with longing at the Qantas Club entry along the far wall. If only Qantas were a member of Priority Pass!

When boarding was called, we all proceeded outdoors and strolled down a nicely landscaped promenade to the tarmac. Awaiting us was a gleaming two year old 737-800 named “Wangaratta”. The airplane looked quite smart in Qantas’ attractive red, white and gold livery. I took a quick snapshot before heading up the covered stairway and into the air conditioned cabin.




Wow – Qantas’ Business Class seating is no better than Alaska’s or Northwest’s. Seat pitch can’t be any more than 37”. At least the sixteen seats are configured 2-2. Given the huge amount of money Qantas charges for a seat up front, I would have expected better. Hopefully they make up for it with a nice meal.

Continuing on past the divider and into the Economy cabin, I made my way down the aisle to my spacious exit row seat. Once again, I counted my blessings for having snagged an exit row seat because seat pitch on this 737-800 could not have been more than 31”. After exchanging pleasantries with the lady in the window seat, I reclined my aisle seat and listened as a flight attendant regaled us with information about the exit row seating requirements and then admonished me to return my seatback to its full upright position.

Despite temperatures in excess of 30°C, Alice Spring’s 7,998’ runway provided more than enough length for our CFM-56 powered 737 to win the twin battles of lift versus weight and thrust versus drag. As we soared into the clear desert air, I found myself yearning for one last view of Alice Springs. I really like this town as well as this region. Hopefully next time I can stay a month or more.

Flight time over to Sydney was announced as 2hours and 30 minutes. Clear skies and smooth air were the order of the day and I briefly considered offering the lady in the window seat a small bribe if she’d switch seats with me. Alas, all I had was $11.00 and a bag of beer nuts. Something in her countenance suggested she’d require an inducement of somewhat greater value. Then again, if she ordered a beer, those beer nuts might be pretty enticing…

As things turned out, she ordered a tea and spent the entire flight reading her book. I ordered a Coke and spent much the flight reading the inflight magazine and seeing how many questions about Australian trivia I could answer. I managed eleven. What glances I did get out the window showed a flat, rust colored landscape. I was reminded of a flight I once did on Air Namibia between Swakopmund and Windhoek.



Cruising between Alice Springs and Sydney on a nice Australian afternoon

Luncheon arrived with the time honored query of “Chicken or Beef?” Chicken, please. I was handed a packaged sandwich with a label that described it as Thai Sweet Chilli Chicken with Lettuce & Cucumbers on Panini Bread. Hmm… It was tasty enough, but for all the extra money that Qantas charges, especially on this two and a half hour flight, I was hoping for something hot.




Overall, this was a pleasant enough flight. However, Qantas is no discount carrier and in fact presents itself as a full service airline. Having recently flown each of Australia’s three discount carriers, I’d say that with the exception of the complimentary soda and sandwich, the overall comfort and service I experienced on Qantas was no better than any of the discount carriers. So the question I have to ask myself is this: on routes where I have the option of flying one of Australia’s discount carriers, should I pay all that extra money for a seat and program miles on Qantas or should I buy a sandwich and a drink (about $11.00 aboard the discount airlines) and enjoy what is often a substantial savings?


SYDNEY LAYOVER

My flight to Singapore was not due to leave until the next day at 4:30pm. Faced with a 23 hour and 50 minute layover, I needed to find a place to stay for the night. In years past, I’ve found budget accommodations reasonably close to Sydney’s airport. When I say budget, I mean my own private room (not a hostel) for under $40.00 per night. Of course, the last time I paid those kinds of rates in Sydney was in 1995. This time, using the Internet, I was unable to find anything even remotely close. So, I decided to splurge and buy a room in an airport hotel.

My first choice was the Formule One hotel, located just a ten minute walk from the airport. Formule One Hotels are like these giant prefabricated hotel kits - some assembly required. The rooms are very small but also very functional. They include a queen sized bed, a television, an air conditioner, a writing desk and a bathroom with shower. I’ve stayed twice at the Melbourne Airport Formule One and at $59.00 per night considered it a good deal. The Sydney Airport Formule One cost $105.00 per night. Not a good deal. Why not pay just a little more for a decently sized room with airport transfers?

After checking through a variety of last minute discount booking sites, I was able to find a room at the Sydney Airport International Inn for just $118.00. The standard room was described as having a double bed with a floral bed cover. Seriously, the description actually included mention of a floral bed cover. Well isn’t that the kicker! I wasn’t going to reserve the room but when my wife heard about that floral bed cover… I checked for customer reviews and read that the rooms were pretty small. Worse, I found some pictures that showed a very basic room with three single beds. Any hotel that would use a single bed for anything other than a child’s accommodation certainly isn’t worth $118.00.

Finally, I settled on the Gemini Hotel, located in the nearby suburb of Randwick. I’d stayed there two years ago for $99.00 per night and found the property very nice. This time the rate was $135.00, a new record for the most I’ve ever paid to stay somewhere overnight. I’ve flown to Europe for less. The hotel provides complimentary airport transfers and the surrounding neighborhood has plenty of interesting and affordable restaurants and bars as opposed to the overpriced ones found in an airport hotel.

Before heading over to the hotel, I met up with fellow FTers QF WP and NM. Both were flying into Sydney on Qantas flights that arrived within fifteen minutes of mine. We wasted little time in heading up to the Qantas Club where we quaffed Cooper’s Ales and talked aviation and other assorted topics for almost four hours. NM regaled us with tales of his first flight, a multi-stop VC-10 journey between Brisbane and London with stops in exotic locales like Darwin, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Dubai. If only BA still flew that routing today…

At 9:00pm we parted ways and I caught a van over to the Gemini Hotel. I hadn’t eaten dinner yet but I found a nice Thai restaurant around the corner where a very tasty Panang Curry cost me just $8.00. In the morning I took advantage of the hotel’s breakfast buffet, scarfing down eggs, sausages and tomatoes with abandon whilst perusing complimentary copies of that morning’s Australian and Sydney Herald. By noon I was packed and on my way back to Sydney’s Kingsford-Smith International Airport.

Seat 2A

April 1, 2008
Sydney - Singapore
British Airways First Class
Boeing 777-200 G-YMMH

Check-in for BA16 didn’t open until 1:30pm, so I pulled up a table at the airport Starbucks and began tapping out the beginning paragraphs of this trip report. I hadn’t been to a Starbucks in Australia before and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. After three weeks of paying out large sums of money for paltry amounts of coffee ($2.50 to $3.00 for a 8oz. cup of flat white or coffee with milk) I was thrilled to hand over $3.00 for a 20oz. cup of rich, earthy Sumatran. Why Australians are charged so much for this simple and abundant beverage I’ll never know. Plenty of superb coffee is grown in nearby Indonesia and though I don’t know much about growing coffee, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were possible to grow good coffee in Queensland as well.

Interestingly, my flight back to London involved a connection rather than an enroute stop in Singapore. While this may not have set well with some people, I was quite taken with the idea of flying a 777 up to Singapore followed by a 747 across to London. British Airways has only recently introduced the 777 to Australasian skies and today’s 3,910 mile journey up to Singapore would represent my longest flight on the type. That I would be doing so in First Class was all the more exciting.

Although I’ve logged over 1,400 flights covering over 1.5 million miles in First Class, I still get excited to the point of sleeplessness the night before a long flight in international First Class. Travelling in international First Class aboard an airline the caliber of British Airways represents the pinnacle of airborne transport. It’s not just a flight, it’s an experience! The airport lounge, the comfortable suite, the welcome glass of Champagne, the seven course meal, the comfort and ease throughout the flight… We’re talking about the very best way one can fly as a passenger.

It’s not just the space or the food. It’s the training and pride reflected in flight attendants who anticipate your needs, not just come when they’re called. It’s consistently and graciously meeting the expectations and needs of an often sophisticated and seasoned clientele, many of whom have expectations commensurate with their lot in life, a lot that rarely if ever includes economy or business class travel. It’s training and pride that reflect in a meal being presented, not just served. It’s a commitment by the airline to provide only the finest food and amenities and to maintain a high standard of service that allows only the best and most dedicated flight attendants to work the First Class cabin. It’s class. First Class. It all adds up to the very best service one can expect in the air and it’s exciting stuff to experience, much less anticipate.

I sincerely hope that all of you who’ve ever drooled over a First Class menu transcript or imagined yourselves reclining over the Pacific in a plush suite will soon get the opportunity to experience this level of service as well.

One of the nicest aspects of an international First Class flight is a visit to the First Class lounge prior to the flight. The best airlines operate their International First Class lounges on a higher standard than their everyday airport lounges. A good example of this is Qantas, whose First Class lounge British Airways uses for its flights out of Sydney.

The everyday Qantas Clubs found throughout Australia are excellent lounges offering comfortable seating, stylish décor, a well stocked bar and a superior assortment of food stuffs. They are on par with and indeed even better than many of the International First Class lounges operated by most North American and some European airlines. Qantas' new First Class lounges in Sydney and Melbourne take those standards to a new and much higher level, allowing Qantas to join airlines like Cathay Pacific, Thai, Malaysian and Lufthansa in offering the world’s finest First Class lounges.

After checking in, clearing security/immigration and passing through the duty free gauntlet unscathed, I headed up an escalator and entered a doorway marked Qantas First Class Lounge. A doorman checked my boarding pass and then directed me down a hallway to another escalator. Wow… Is this like ascending through the seven levels of consciousness? Almost. At the top of the second escalator was a large reception desk, accessed over a marble floor. Once again, my credentials were verified and I was admitted into the lounge proper.

And what a lounge it is! Housed in a new building on top of the international terminal and designed by famed Australian designer Marc Newson, Qantas’ First Class lounge is at once airy and inviting. I was immediately impressed by the big picture windows, the comfortable seating and the attractive décor. Rather than being a large rectangular room, the lounge is built on a curve, divided by floor to ceiling wooden sculptures every thirty feet or so.









Essentially, the lounge is divided into intimate zones for relaxation, dining, and business. A well stocked library and a day spa are also inclusive to the lounge. The large picture windows provide exceptional views of the tarmac below as well as good views of the city and Botany Bay. The black, white or burgundy lounge chairs and sofas are upholstered in soft leather. Comfortable recliners are available nearby the big windows.

A brochure indicated that many of the materials used in the lounge were imported from overseas. For example, the wood is American oak. The marble floor is from Italy. The wool carpets are from Hong Kong. The quartz is from Switzerland. The computers are from Japan. The passengers are from all over the world.

The Bar



The Self Service Buffet



Some Buffet Selections



Cheese Selection




After making a full inspection of all the facilities except the spa, I headed over to the restaurant for a late lunch. Seating 48 people at tables and chairs by Italian designer Cappellini, this restaurant’s menu is designed by Australian chef Neil Perry. I was presented a menu by my Canadian waiter (I don’t think he was intentionally imported but his accent was unmistakable to a northerner like myself) and a glass of delicious cabernet sauvignon by my Australian wine steward. Mmm…! Mmmm again! What is this stuff?! Yering Station Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Yarra Valley. I wrote down the name and then took a few moments to peruse the menu:


ALL DAY DINING
Available from 11:00am

Seasonal Soup
Szechuan Salt and Pepper Squid
Bruschetta with Soft Goats Cheese, Slow Roasted Capsicum and Thyme
Salad of Smoked Ocean Trout, Green Beans and Rocket with Eggplant Caviar


Our Signature Club Sandwich with Barossa Free Range Chicken
Smokehouse Bacon and Aioli

Our Signature Burger with Smokehouse bacon and Gruyere
Dill Pickle and Tomato Chilli Relish


“Manna From Heaven” Tallegio, Caramelised Onion and Walnut Tart
Organic Egg Omelette with Spinach, Jamon and Manchego Cheese
Stir Fried Egg Noodles with Pork, Chilli and Black Bean
Nonya Style Egg Yellow Chicken Curry with Crisp Eshalots and Fragrant Rice
Grilled Swordfish with Borlotti Bean, Tomato, Basil and Preserved Lemon Salad
Mushroom and Veal Papardelle with Truffle Studded Pecorino
Minute Steak with Café de Paris Butter and Chips


PLATE OF THE DAY
Please ask your host for the daily addition to the menu


SIDE DISHES
To Compliment Your Meal

Chips
Sweet Pumpkin Puree
Broccolini with Colonna Lemon Oil
Rocket and Parmesan Salad
Signature Mixed Leaf Salad

CHEESE AND DESSERT

Seasonal Fruit Plate
Manna From Heaven Seasonal Fruit Tart with Mascarpone
Classic Milk Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream
Nice Cream Vanilla Bean, Hazelnut or Dark Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream
Watermelon or Lemon Sorbet

Cheese, Hand Selected by Calendar Cheese Company
Rouzaire Gratte Paille, Will Studd’s Selected Aged Comte and Calendar Cellar Ripened Blue
Served with Accompaniments


Hmm… so many choices! I was talked into trying a plate of the calamari for starters, followed by a that day’s special, lamb with onions. Delicious!








I was tempted to try a dessert but with my flight departing in just an hour and a half, I decided to save some room for the meal on board. Instead, I had one last glass of that magnificent cabernet, thanked my waiter for a delicious meal and then retired to a recliner overlooking the tarmac. A colorful array of aircraft were in town today. Some of the planes I spotted were:

Air Calin A330-200
Air Pacific 747-400
Virgin A340-600
JetStar A330-200s
Etihad A340-500
Thai 777-200
Martinair 747
China Eastern A340
Singapore 747-400
Malaysian 747-400
UPS MD-11

I watched as a beautiful Etihad A340-300 was prepared for its 7490 mile flight to to Abu Dhabi. Etihad’s livery is certainly one of the prettiest to ever grace an A340. Man, I sure would love to take a seat in the Diamond Zone on that aircraft someday!





Overall, I’d have to say that Qantas’ new First Class Lounge is the nicest I’ve ever visited. Certainly one could argue that Cathay Pacific’s Wing has more amenities but Qantas’ First Class Lounge is – to me at least – much warmer and more inviting. I look forward to my next visit!

Although flights operated by Qantas and its partners are announced in the lounge, I decided to head down to the gate a few minutes early to scope out the airplane.




I enjoy checking out large aircraft like a 747 or 777 at the gate. Even when I’m not flying aboard the particular aircraft at the gate, there’s still a wonderful sense of anticipation, as if I were. I look at those forward windows and imagine that I’ll be sitting in a big comfortable First Class seat there someday. Of course, it’s even better when I’ve actually got a boarding pass showing my assigned seat as 2A.

Such was the case this afternoon and, after a brief appraisal of the aircraft, I pulled out my boarding pass, displayed it to the gate agent, and strolled down the jetway. The last time I flew a British Airways 777, I was traveling in World Traveler Plus. As nice as that was relative to an Economy Class seat, ever nicer was the invitation to bear left into the rarified air of the First Class cabin.

For one who’s logged almost 300,000 miles in the noses of a wide variety of 747s, BA’s 777 cabin seems a bit claustrophobic. The fourteen suites are configured 1-2-1 throughout , so the entire cabin seems quite crowded compared to the First Class cabin on the 747 where the first two rows are configured 1-1 due to the narrowing of the fuselage. There’s an intimacy to the 747’s forward cabin that simply can’t be replicated on a 777. That notwithstanding, the suite is exactly the same and just as comfortable, though it is positioned a bit farther from the windows.

BA’s crews normally do an excellent job of meeting and greeting their First Class passengers. One can generally expect to be relieved of outer garments and presented with a welcoming drink within a couple minutes of boarding. Today however, I was basically ignored. I watched and waited for over five minutes as people who’d boarded after me were presented drinks and generally made comfortable. Finally I approached the galley and asked if I might hang my jacket. The flight attendant was an older lady who seemed downright befuddled. Next, I asked if there might be a Herald Tribune aboard. A younger flight attendant sniffed “Sorry, we don’t have any of those American papers onboard”. Hah! Just try getting one in America, then.

In any event, I suspect we’ve got a bunch of trainees working this flight. Even more likely is that they’re a bunch of European domestic stews who were called in at the last minute and haven’t a clue about International First Class service. I can’t imagine BA would put trainees on this route and expect them to learn on the job. As such, I’m going to stick with my second choice: Larry, Curly and Moe got called from the domestic services at the last moment.

An amenities kit and pajamas were doled out, followed by limp, tepid “hot towels”. And, finally, I was presented with a glass of Champagne. I was really amazed at how poor the initial service was. Even First Class trainees wouldn’t perform this poorly!




I’m pretty sure that there are only two or three people from the BA forum would ever condescend to read one of my style of trip reports, much less ever admit that they had. Still, it’d be interesting to hear from anyone who’s had some experience in BA’s First Class (Sorry, I’ve only logged thirty-three flights in BA’s International FIRST so far) to see how often they’ve experienced similar shortcomings.

Pushback was right on time – 4:30pm on the dot. Ten minutes later we were climbing out over Botany Bay before making a big 260° turn to the south and eventually to the northwest while climbing toward an initial cruising altitude of 37,000’. A flight time of seven hours and fifty three minutes was announced with thunderstorms forecast for our descent into Singapore.



Climbing out of Sydney in the late afternoon sun

Alright, then - Let the service begin!

And so it did with the presentation of the menu and wine list. Let’s see what’s on order for this afternoon’s food and drink:




WINE LIST

Champagne
Bollinger La Grande Année 1999

White Wines
Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 2006, Domaine William Fevre
Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling2006, Clare Valley
Grossett Piccadilly Chardonnay 2005, Adelaide Hills

Red Wines
Château Batailley 1996, Grand Cru Classé Pauillac
Babaresco 2005, Bruno Roca
Mitchelton Print Shiraz 1999, Victoria

Dessert Wines
Opitz Goldackerl Trockenbeerenauslese 2002, Neusiedlersee Osterreich
Warre’s 1988 Colheita Port


Spirits, Digestifs and Liqueurs
We offer a complete range of classic and timeless spirits, digestifs and liqueurs featuring:

Gonzalez Byass Sherries
Smirnoff Black Label Vodka
Tanqueray No. Ten Gin
Johnny Walker Blue Label Scotch Whiskey
The Glenlivet 18-year-old Single Malt Whiskey
Woodford Reserve Kentucky Whiskey
Camus XO Cognac


* * * * * * * * *




DINNER

STARTERS

Fresh rock lobster with wasabi dressing

Feta Cheese and spinach filo tart

French Onion Soup

Fresh salad leaves with your choice of balsamic vinaigrette or yoghurt and mint dressing


MAIN COURSE

Lamb Fillet with Minted Jus
Served with fresh vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes

Salmon Fish Cakes with Lemon Butter Sauce
With oven roasted tomatoes and wilted spinach

Beef and Ale Pie
Served with mashed potatoes, baby peas and baby carrots

Thai Chicken Salad
On angel hair noodles with sesame ginger dressing


DESSERT

Mango cheese cake

Bread and butter pudding


CHEESE PLATE

A selection of cheese

A basket of fresh fruit


SNACKS

Penne pasta tossed with your choice of fire roasted red pepper sauce or creamy mushroom and tarragon sauce topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Ice cream

Duchy of Cornwall biscuits

A selection of cheese and fruit


BEVERAGES

Twinings Teas ~ Traditional English Breakfast, Darjeeling, Earl Grey or Pure Green

Twinings Fruit and Herb Infusions ~ Pure Chamomile, Pure Peppermint, Lemon and Ginger or Blackcurrant, Ginseng and Vanilla

Coffee ~ roasted and ground, decaffeinated, espresso or cappuccino




I’d like a glass of the Riesling, please. As for the meal, hmm… Fresh rock lobster with wasabi dressing… That just sounds far too appetizing to pass up, so let’s start with that and then follow with a salad - vinaigrette dressing. For the main course I’ll have the lamb fillet. By the way, I’d like to hold off a couple of hours before dining, please. Let’s start at 7:00pm local time.

None of this was a problem for the flight attendant working my side of the cabin. She dutifully wrote everything down and returned moments later with a nicely chilled glass of Riesling and a tray of canapés.




I reclined my seat and savored the delicious wine and tasty hors d’oeuvres while taking in the beauty of the Blue Mountains 31000 feet beneath us. I love this life! If only I could do this on a more regular basis. What a wonderful job that would be!

About an hour into the flight, I went forward to use the lav and on my return I paused in the galley to ask if I might get a power port kit for my laptop. The purser happened to be up front and she took care of it. “You’ll find these located right here” she said to the two other ladies working the front galley. My suspicions were now pretty much confirmed. Except for the purser, this was not an experienced First Class cabin crew.

The sun sat low on the horizon as my table was set for dinner and another glass of wine was delivered – this time the Chablis. Regrettably, the Australian government has yet to come to its senses regarding the use of real silverware aboard flights into or out of the country, so we had to make do with the tacky plastic ware.

Rather than present a bread basket for my inspection, I was instead delivered a plate with two rolls, neither of which would have been my choice had there been one. Still, there are worse transgressions in life and cabin service so I enjoyed my wine and said nothing.

The lobster appetizer was every bit as appealing visually as it was tasty. It was accompanied by a small slaw of chopped cucumber and carrots along with two spots of little orange eggs. The wasabi dressing was a nice touch though my personal tastes would have preferred a lot more wasabi. Really though, this was a fine start to the meal.




The lamb fillet was presented next. Oops! They forgot the salad. The lamb was quickly withdrawn and replaced with a very nice little salad that included sun dried tomatoes, sliced avocado and some kind of olive which I carefully removed. Ah, I do love that vinaigrette, though!




While I was eating the salad, it’s quite possible, indeed even probable that the lamb was returned to the oven and reheated before once again being presented to me. By the time I sawed into it with the plastic knife, the meat had lost much of its natural juiciness, forcing me to have to chew hard and snap my head back to get it down. Well… maybe not that bad, but it was a pretty rugged piece of meat. Definitely not one of BA’s finer moments in the inflight dining department.




Dessert was offered and I briefly considered skipping it in favor of an after dinner sherry. Then again, perhaps a portion of mango cheese cake might assuage some of my lingering disappointment over the rugged lamb. I’m happy to report that the cheesecake was an excellent dessert. Accompanied by a cup of BA’s surprisingly good coffee and a chocolate from the box, it brought this meal to a tasty and much improved conclusion.




With slightly more than four hours still left in the flight, I decided to take a break from trip reporting and instead watch a movie. BA’s new AVOD inflight entertainment system is a huge improvement over the antiquated cyclical system from years past. I had a chance to peruse some of the offerings on my flights over to Australia and came away very impressed. The new release movie selections were vastly superior in both quantity and quality to anything offered on US airlines and I was doubly pleased to find a good selection of older films such as Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather trilogy or Cool Hand Luke. The only real shortcoming to the new system is BA’s tiny 8” personal TV screens. Unfortunately, I expect we’ll be stuck with those until the new First Class cabin is unveiled in the next couple of years.

So – here I am all excited about checking out a movie from the new AVOD system only to discover that the 777 fleet has not yet been upgraded with the new IFE.

Sigh…

Momma told me there’d be flights like this.

I switched the screen to the SkyMap channel and watched with interest as we approached Australia’s northern coastline. If only this were a daytime flight. I’d love to watch the transition from continent to ocean to islands large and small. Alas, it was dark outside so I plugged in my laptop and dutifully set to work transcribing the menu from this flight into this trip report. Then I watched my own copy of the 1970 classic, Vanishing Point .

About an hour out of Singapore, the crew came around to see if we’d care for a refreshment. Having just finished dinner only three hours earlier, I couldn’t imagine how more food would be particularly refreshing at this point. But what the heck – let’s have a look at that menu:


REFRESHMENTS

SNACKS

Warm savoury Danish pastry

A selection of reception sandwiches

PATISSERIE

Afternoon tea pastries


Perhaps if all I’d eaten were an Economy Class sized meal, I might be more excited about the prospect of eating some sandwiches and pastries. Still, a small plate of cheese and a glass of port might be nice…




During the final forty-five minutes of the flight, those of us sat on the left side of the aircraft were treated to an impressive display of lightning. From my limited experience, thunderstorms seem to be quite common around Singapore in the late afternoon and evening. The lightning displays have become an anticipated highlight any time I fly into Singapore. Tonight was one of the better displays I’ve seen.

Though this flight offered plenty to find fault with insofar as shortcomings to BA’s generally high inflight service standards, I’m willing to give this crew the benefit of the doubt and assume that they normally worked European flights and were rushed onto a SYD schedule due to some operational problem. As superb as BA’s First Class crews have been in the past, I can’t possibly imagine that the ladies working tonight’s flight would have been trained and deemed fit for First Class service. They were way too green.

I had an hour and a half layover until the departure of my connecting flight to London. Ideally, I’d prefer to spend a night or two in Singapore and then fly to London. And again, ideally that flight would be a daytime departure. Singapore Airlines offers three daily flights between Singapore and London. Two of them are daytime flights departing at 9:05am and 12:45pm respectively. Unfortunately, my Alaska Airlines award on British Airways does not allow a Singapore stopover and BA’s two scheduled SIN-LHR flights are late night departures. On a positive note, my flight into London would be operated by a 747.

Singapore’s Changi International Airport has a very nice First Class lounge operated jointly by BA and Qantas. The lounge was only a short walk from the gate so I headed right up there. A cold Tiger Beer and an Internet connection awaited.

Seat 2A

April 1, 2008
Singapore - London
British Airways First Class
Boeing 747-400 G-BNLJ

It must have been a busy night in Singapore for BA and Qantas, because the First Class lounge was packed. I’d never seen it so busy! And, as if Singapore isn’t humid and muggy enough on a good night, being in this lounge with close to one hundred people in it was downright stuffy. Despite its many fine amenities, I was actually relieved to leave the lounge and step outside into the marginally cooler terminal where I made my way back to the gate.

For some reason totally incomprehensible to me, Singapore operates full security check points at each gate. This in addition to the security check required just to enter the terminal. Of course, I went through this in Bangkok as well, but the security check there was set up in the middle of the concourse and the process went much more quickly. In Changi, the line of humanity stretched from the entrance to gate C-16 a good forty to fifty yards up the concourse. Alas, there was no Fast Track for First Class passengers. Ah well, the sooner I get in line, the sooner I’ll be done with it.

Once onboard the aircraft, my overall quality of life improved dramatically. Relieved of my jacket and daypack, I wasted no time in removing my shoes, changing into a set of pajamas and settling into seat 2K, my home for the next thirteen hours. Soon I was sipping from a wonderfully chilled glass of Champagne and tossing back macadamia nuts like Hawaiian royalty. The flight attendants moved unobtrusively through the cabin delivering drinks and amenity kits, hanging coats and generally helping the passengers settle in for a comfortable and pleasant journey ahead. This was a seasoned First Class cabin crew and it showed. When BA’s First Class cabin crews are at their best, I think they compare favorably with anyone in the industry.

Following a surprisingly brief delay to remove baggage belonging to two passengers who didn’t show up for the flight, we pushed back from the gate and headed off to the runway. Ten minutes later, we were still taxiing. Geez, we ought to be getting close to Malaysia by now! During the extended taxi, I couldn’t help but ponder the fate of our two missing passengers. Really now, how do two people check in, check baggage, and then not make the flight? Did they fall asleep? Both of them? Were they detained at immigration or perhaps at one of the security check points? Were they transit passengers who suddenly decided to stay a night in Singapore? We’ll never know…

Finally the Captain swung our big ship around and put the coals to the four big Rolls Royce engines, whereupon we verily thundered down the runway on an exhilarating 52 second takeoff roll.



Climbing through 20,000' enroute to London

Eight minutes later, as we climbed through 21000 feet, the crew swung into action. A round of nicely scented hot towels were presented followed shortly thereafter by the menu and wine list. The wine list was unchanged from the flight into Singapore, so I reacquainted myself with a glass of the Chablis and opened the menu to page 2:


DINNER

STARTERS

Green tikka prawns with a mango and coriander salsa

Warm polenta terrine with mushroom a la grecque and truffle oil

Sweetcorn soup

Fresh salad leaves with your choice of balsamic vinaigrette or Parmesan cheese and roast garlic cream dressing


COURSES

Grilled Fillet of Beef
With shiitake mushroom curry and panko rice cake

Lobster Thermidore
With truffle oil risotto and asparagus

Chicken and Leek Pie
With seasonal vegetables

Confit of Duck and Fois Gras
Presented atop French beans with a bitter orange dressing


DESSERT

and ginger torte with Mascarpone cheese
Warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream


CHEESE PLATE

A selection of cheese
A basket of fresh fruit


LIGHTER OPTION
Something light and tasty served quickly to maximize your rest time

Pan-Seared Marinated Black Cod
Served on a bed of freshly pickled wild mushrooms and long young broccoli with yuzu dressing


SNACKS

Bacon roll with tomato ketchup

A selection of reception sandwiches

Penne pasta tossed with your choice of tomato and basil sauce or cheese and chive sauce topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese

A selection of biscuits


BEVERAGES

Twinings Teas ~ Traditional English Breakfast, Darjeeling, Earl Grey or Pure Green

Twinings Fruit and Herb Infusions ~ Pure Chamomile, Pure Peppermint, Lemon and Ginger or Blackcurrant, Ginseng and Vanilla

Coffee ~ Freshly roasted and ground, decaffeinated, espresso or cappuccino



Although I’ve never enjoyed flying in the middle of the night, I can certainly appreciate the logic behind these late night departures out of Singapore. With a flight time into London of twelve and a half to thirteen hours, there’s plenty of time to enjoy a late dinner, then get a good night’s sleep and awake refreshed to a hot breakfast and an early morning arrival at Heathrow. For those originating in southeast Asia or those who live in England or Europe, I’m sure this schedule must diminish the effects of jetlag considerably.

Back in Sydney, the time was approaching 3:30am. In years past, I’ve gone to bed immediately after takeoff from Singapore. Since I’m only transiting London and connecting to another long flight, there’s no point in trying to adjust to the eating and/or sleeping patterns there. Instead, I’ll usually sleep about six hours, then have dinner and spend the next six hours enjoying the flight via movies, a good book or a good trip report. Tonight, I decided to go with the flow and eat first, then sleep. This decision was made easier by the fact that I wasn’t all that tired. Secondly, I had an eight hour layover at Heathrow, which included picking up and rechecking my baggage. All things considered, I might as well eat now, sleep later.

The crew is well aware that most everyone wants to eat as soon as possible, so little time was wasted in setting the tables and presenting the first course, which for me was a succulent selection of green tikka prawns with mango and coriander salsa. The prawns so were tender and flavorful I could have happily ordered another dozen of them and called it a meal. Instead, I had a salad, this time trying out the Parmesan cheese and roast garlic cream dressing. Not bad, not bad…










And for the main course ~ Lobster Thermidore. The name alone exudes luxurious decadence, and the addition of truffle oil risotto only served to heighten that perception. The plate I was presented certainly lived up to my expectations. The red lobster tail accented the accompanying green asparagus, brown mushrooms and yellow lemon nicely. There was plenty of tender lobster meat mixed in amongst the delicious risotto and with the addition of two slices of garlic bread, this meal was just about as close to perfect as you can get inflight.




Dessert? Might as well go whole hog! I’ll have the Chocolate and ginger torte with Mascarpone cheese, please. Accompanied by a cup of decaffeinated coffee, this made a delightful ending to one of the best meals I’ve had aloft.





Plates were cleared, lights were dimmed and water bottles delivered. Now would be a good time to watch a movie. Thankfully, this aircraft was equipped with BA’s new IFE and so I turned from the SkyMap to the movie channel and perused this month’s offerings. The new system will allow passengers to choose from among 100 films and TV programs, 70 CDs, 20 games, radio channels and audio books. The film library included about thirty of the latest films along with an impressive collection of classic films, foreign-language films and even a children’s section with films, TV programs, music and stories designed for those under 12.

Although there were a number of recently released films I would like to have seen, I wasn’t too excited about seeing them on an 8” screen. So, now was a good opportunity to revisit an older film I’d already seen. Godfather II was an easy choice for me because I’d never seen the entire movie. As well, I believe it’s the only sequel ever to win Best Picture honors at the Academy Awards.

Unfortunately, time once again caught up with me and I found myself falling asleep about halfway through the picture. Ah well, I’ll just have to rent it someday. Ten minutes later, I was sleeping soundly, not to awake until about an hour and a half out of London. Perhaps the wonderful aromas of breakfast breads and coffee had roused me from my slumber or was it the snoring from the lady in front of me? Either way, the breakfast service was in full swing and so I headed off to the lav to freshen up and change back into my travel clothes.

I owe an eternal debt of gratitude to whoever invented the fruit smoothie. Hopefully she was a nice hippie chick from southern California in the 1960s. In any event, that first smoothie is one of my favorite parts of BA’s breakfast service and thankfully, the crew had whipped up enough for refills. Now then, as to breakfast proper, where did I put that menu? Ah, there it is, under the newspaper.


BREAKFAST

STARTERS

Chilled fruit juice
An energizing fruit smoothie
A selection of yogurts
A selection of cereals
Fresh seasonal fruit plate

BAKERY

A warm selection of warm bread and breakfast pastries

MAIN COURSE

Full English Breakfast
Scrambled eggs, grilled bacon, pork sausages, sautéed mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and hash brown potatoes

Cheese Omelette
Accompanied with your choice of grilled bacon, pork sausages, sautéed mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and hash brown potatoes

Braised Shanghai Noodles
Served with shredded vegetables


Let’s start with a pot of your strongest coffee. Then I’ll have a fruit plate and the full English breakfast. This combination has worked well for me in the past, so no need to deviate from course now. Once, while flying Cathay Pacific, I got a bit adventurous and ordered some kind of noodle breakfast. All I can say is I think you need to grow up eating noodles for breakfast in order to truly enjoy them first thing in the morning. I think I prefer mine later in the day, thanks.

What can I say about a fruit plate and the full English breakfast that I haven’t already said in ten previous trip reports? It’s a classic and filling breakfast. The healthier option would be the fruit plate and some yogurt but when inflight, especially in First Class, I prefer a good cooked breakfast. Besides, there’ll be plenty of yogurt and cereal breakfasts awaiting me when I get home.








Unfortunately, there was no need for Heathrow controllers to place us in a holding pattern, so this wonderful flight came to an end after twelve hours and thirty-seven minutes.

Seat 2A

HEATHROW LAYOVER & TERMINAL 5

Our on time arrival meant I faced a layover of eight hours and twenty five minutes until my onward flight to Miami was scheduled to depart at 1:40pm. For many people, this would be a nightmarish scenario. Not me. When I was a kid, I used to bicycle thirteen miles each way out to Denver’s Stapleton International Airport where I’d roam the concourses for hours on end watching as aircraft like Western 720Bs, Braniff 727s, TWA 880s, Frontier 727s and DC-9s from North Central, Ozark or Texas International boarded well dressed passengers and flew off to fascinating sounding places like Calgary, San Antonio, Boston, Tucson, Minneapolis, Waterloo or Amarillo. Watching these colorful airliners come and go, it was easy to imagine myself someday flying aboard each and every one of them. Back then, I’d only flown about forty times, mostly aboard 707s and DC-8s from Continental, TWA and United Air Lines. Never would I have imagined that today, some thirty-five years later, I’d have flown all of those aircraft and many more, on over one hundred and twenty five different airlines. That’s what passion and dedication will get you.

These days, it’s not often that I actually look forward to a long layover spent entirely in the airport. After logging 3.5 million miles aboard more than 3,800 flights, I’ve spent an awful lot of time in airports. The passion that once couldn’t get enough of flying and airports has since mellowed to the point where I enjoy my time in airports but I no longer go out of my way to spend any more time in them than I have to.

That said, today I was very much looking forward to my eight hour layover at Heathrow because my Miami flight was scheduled to depart from BA’s new Terminal 5. I wanted time to check out the facilities and lounges in the new 8.5 billion dollar terminal, especially the new Concorde Room.

Unfortunately operations in the new terminal, which had opened just five days earlier, got off to a very rough start. Terms like “meltdown”, “disaster” and “catastrophe” were used early and often to describe the first days of its operation. The main problem was caused by baggage that didn’t transfer fast enough or at all from other terminals. Additionally, staff seemed inadequately trained and/or prepared to deal with the new procedures and systems ironically designed to expedite check-in and departures. The end result was many cancelled flights, lots of furious passengers and a 32 million dollar loss for BA through the first four days of operation.

The news was filled with stories about all of this in the days leading up to my departure from Australia. Still, I was undeterred. The terminal was open, the lounges were open and regardless of all else, I still faced that eight hour layover. What else was I going to do? Hang out in Terminal 1? God forbid!

Given that the main problem lay with baggage transferring from Heathrow’s other terminals, I decided to check my backpack from Sydney only as far as Heathrow. There I would collect it and personally transfer it over to Terminal 5. A simple solution if ever there was one.

Everything went exactly as planned, too. Upon clearing immigration and customs in Terminal 4, I and my backpack headed over to the nearly deserted Arrivals Lounge for a shower, a cup of coffee and the morning paper.














As more and more early morning flights from North America arrived, the lounge began to get truly crowded so I gathered my gear and began the surprisingly easy transit from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5.

Judging from some of the reports I’d read on FlyerTalk, I was led to believe that getting over to Terminal 5 might be a difficult and time consuming proposition. Perhaps it is from Terminals 1-3, but from Terminal 4 it was quite simple. I boarded the Heathrow Express train for the short ride over to Heathrow Central Station, then transferred to another train going over to Terminal 5. There was no charge for this transfer and the entire process took about fifteen minutes. An elevator takes you from the T5 train station up to departures, though interestingly leaves you just outside the terminal on a covered landing. From here you get your first perspective on just how large and impressive the terminal building is.




T5 is the largest free standing building in the UK, covering the same amount of area as Hyde Park. Interestingly, the site on which the terminal sits was previously occupied by the Perry Oaks Sludge Works, a sewage processing plant. The archeological recovery project on the terminal site is the largest ever in the UK. Over 80000 artifacts were found, including pottery, flint blades and a hand axe from about 3000BC. Recovery work continues so stay tuned. Perhaps there’ll be a Dig Report in Archeological Digest.

As I entered the terminal, I was immediately impressed by how bright and spacious the interior was. Glass and steel have been used liberally to maximize natural light and the result is quite striking. Through all the glass are superb views of the airport and runways. This is a huge improvement on the claustrophobic clutter of Terminals 1 and 3, and probably 2 as well though I’ve never been there.




BA’s First Class check-in area is located way down at the far end of the terminal. It looked to be a bit smaller than the FIRST facility over in Terminal 4, but it was no less efficient. Given the recent and well publicized baggage handling problems at T5, I was a little concerned that checking in five and a half hours in advance of my flight might result in my baggage being placed off to the side and forgotten amidst the many as yet undelivered bags still in the terminal. The agent assured me that this would not be a problem, then applied a Priority tag to my pack and sent it on its way to baggage central. I was then given directions to the security checkpoint and the Galleries lounge pavilion.

Surprisingly, not only did the security checkpoint I used not have a Fast Track lane, but the employee I spoke with there seemed to know nothing about Fast Track lanes. Totally clueless. Had there been a larger crowd and thus longer line, I might have pursued this issue further but the line was reasonably short, so I proceeded on through without incident. I particularly appreciated not having to remove my laptop, though shoe removal is still required.

As a premium class passenger, I am fortunate to have a nice lounge to spend my idle time in before departure. For everyone else there are shops or, in today’s more sterile terminology, retail outlets. After all, one could hardly call a Harrods, Tiffany or Prada a mere “shop”. In all there are 144 retail outlets and judging from the three outlets I briefly visited, you’ll find few if any bargains. Buyer beware.

There are also plenty of restaurants available including that old T4 favorite, the Caviar House. One thing you won’t find in T5 are fast food chains. There’s not a McDonalds or Burger King in sight. So, while you’re likely to eat better here, you’ll also pay quite a bit more for that privilege.

On to the Galleries Lounge Pavilion. BA has spent the equivalent of 120 million US dollars developing the six lounges in Terminal 5. That’s an amazing figure in its own right and one that I’m confident will never be matched by any US airline, even by one quarter. BA calls these “Gallery” lounges because a sizeable portion of the money spent on them has gone towards the purchase of commissioned art installations, from paintings to illuminated sculptures and moving wallpaper. Here are some links with pictures and descriptions of the lounges and some of the art found in them:

TERMINAL 5

TERMINAL 5 ART

GALLERIES LOUNGES


British Airways’ new Concorde Room is very nice. It’s not magnificent, it’s not awe inspiring, it’s not extravagant, it’s just very nice. I mean that in the most positive way. There’s an understated elegance and comfort to the place that I find extremely appealing. It’s not gaudy or overtly opulent like a couple of the Asian lounges I’ve read about or seen pictures of.

In area, the T5 Concorde Room is easily twice the size of its namesake in T4. It’s probably even larger, though this perception may have been enhanced by the fact that the facility was practically empty when I entered. It was about 9:00am and there were perhaps five visitors.

The seating areas were divided into small, intimate settings. The couches and chairs looked very comfortable indeed. I would imagine that under more normal conditions, when there might be fifty or sixty people milling about the lounge, one could still enjoy a fair sense of privacy in any of these seating areas.








Outside of the main lounge area is a big airy terrace. There’s a real sense of having stepped outside when you visit this terrace but of course you’re merely on a large platform inside the massive confines of the T5 terminal building. Plenty of seating is available, once again in small cozy groups.







I found it more entertaining to take a position along the railing and look out on all the activity below me on the main departures level. The view was impressive, to say the least.





The Concorde Bar looks like a nice place to enjoy a glass of Champagne or a top shelf cocktail. The gold countertop coupled with a collection of glittering modern chandeliers hanging above the bar combine to lend a bright cheer to the ambience. This is further enhanced by the over one hundred bottles of Champagne neatly stacked on the bar back. Unfortunately, the bar was deserted this morning or I might have joined one of my fellow passengers for a glass of Champagne despite the early hour.





The Concorde Restaurant offers cozy lamp lit booths and tableside waiter service. Having recently eaten a full breakfast on the flight in from Singapore, I wasn’t hungry enough for an immediate visit but I did make plans to stop by for a light lunch before my 1:40pm departure to Miami.




One Concorde Room innovation that I did not check out were the three cabanas ~ small, hotel style rooms which can be booked by appointment for rest between flights. I wasn’t tired, though if I had been I would have appreciated the privacy that these rooms provide. Then again, the chances of a lowly Alaska Airlines Award Traveler like myself ever securing one of those rooms in advance are so minimal as to be unworthy of further consideration. I’ll just set up camp under a tree out on the patio, thanks.

Having taken the measure of the lounge and come away duly impressed, I thought now would be a good time to sit down and write about it all. Of course, I hadn’t even finished writing about my flight from Alice Springs to Sydney yet, but what the heck. I’ve been having so much fun enjoying these flights and my travels in general that all I’ve really managed on this trip report is a collection of notes. I’m hell on taking good notes, though. I could probably come back and, using just my notes and memory, write this trip report in a year. Still, times like this, comfortably ensconced in a comfortable lounge with a few hours to spare make for some of my better writing so I’ll write myself into Sydney and see how far I can get on the flight up to Singapore before I break to visit the Concorde Restaurant.

One thing I didn’t notice in the Concorde Room was a Business Center, specifically an area with separate desks or alcoves where I could plug in a laptop and type away with some measure of privacy. I asked about this at the reception desk and was directed to the Boardroom. This room looks to be exactly what its name implies: A place for the board of directors to meet. A large table with seating for eight is equipped with sunken computer monitors that open up with the touch of a button. The seats are genuine Concorde seats and just sitting in one brought back fond memories of my Concorde flight back in 1979.

On the downside, this room offered no real privacy and the temperature inside was set way too high. I relocated to a comfortable high backed chair beside a fire place and set to work on this report.

Disaster struck at about 11:00am. Apparently some pipes had backed up, rendering first the bathrooms and then the kitchen unusable. Since the material backing up was actual sewage, the lounge staff decided it would be best if the entire lounge pavilion were simply evacuated and shut down. I never smelled a thing but dutifully gathered my gear, accepted the apologies of the lounge staff and headed out into the main terminal.

I was told that the Galleries Club Lounge at the northern end of the terminal would be available to me, so I headed over there straightaway, stopping not once at any of the many retail outlets enroute. Why anyone would buy anything other than books, magazines or a last minute forgotten item like a toothbrush or plug adaptor is incomprehensible to me. Aside from paying inflated prices for just about everything, you’ll also have to lug your purchases around with you. No thanks.

The Galleries Club Lounge - North is worlds apart from the refined elegance of the Concorde Room. I felt like I was in a gate lounge with food. People were everywhere, sitting, standing, feeding, looking for places to sit. Frankly, if you weren’t hungry you’d probably find a quieter spot out in the main terminal. I had a quick cup of coffee with a couple of reception sandwiches and then did exactly that.




Overall, I came away very impressed with BA’s new terminal. Its ignominious opening is a shame for all involved and I’m sure that more than a few heads will roll over at BA and BAA because of it. I’ve little doubt that its early problems will be the exception rather than the rule and once this facility gets itself sorted out, it should serve BA very well for many years to come. I look forward to my next visit.

Seat 2A

April 2, 2008
London - Miami
British Airways First Class
Boeing 747-400 G-BNLS

Flight 209 to Miami was scheduled to depart from gate 29. Unfortunately, this gate is not located in the main terminal but rather in a satellite terminal accessed by train. A sign warned that once you were in the satellite terminal, returning to the main terminal and back would take 45 minutes. Apparently the train back to the main terminal drops passengers on the other side of security. Another reason to stay in the main terminal is that the satellite terminal is almost completely devoid of shops and restaurants. Although a Premium Class Lounge is planned for this building, it’s not scheduled to open for another month. Aside from gazing out the window at your waiting aircraft or taking a seat in the gate lounge, there really isn’t much to do in this terminal.







Once on board the aircraft, I requested a glass of Champagne and began to get settled in for the eight hour and fifty minute flight to sunny south Florida.




I was thankful to once again be seated in my favorite place aboard the 747 – Suite 1A – right up in the nose with the first three windows all to myself.





Behind me were another 72 windows and an additional 328 seats, most of them offering decidedly less comfortable accommodations. There’s no point in dwelling on those depressing figures however, so I savored my Champagne and opened the menu and wine list to consider this afternoon’s food and beverage offerings:


WINE LIST

Champagne
Bollinger La Grande Année 1999

White Wines
Puligny-Montrachet Vielles Vignes 2005, Vincent Girardin
Château de Fesles, Anjou Blanc Sec “La Chapelle” 2004
Beringer Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2006

Red Wines
Château Léoville Poyferré 1996, Grand Crus Classé Saint Julien
Barolo Le Albe 2003, G.D. Vajra
Baileyana Syrah 2005, Grand Firepeak Cuvée, Edna Valley

Dessert Wines
Opitz Goldackerl Trockenbeerenauslese 2002, Neusiedlersee Osterreich
Warre’s 1988 Colheita Port


Spirits, Digestifs and Liqueurs
We offer a complete range of classic and timeless spirits, digestifs and liqueurs featuring:

Gonzalez Byass Sherries
Smirnoff Black Label Vodka
Tanqueray No. Ten Gin
Johnny Walker Blue Label Scotch Whiskey
The Glenlivet 18-year-old Single Malt Whiskey
Woodford Reserve Kentucky Whiskey
Camus XO Cognac


* * * * * * * * *


LUNCH

STARTERS

Liam Tomlin’s salad of poached lobster with mango slices on iceberg lettuce and cucumber

Blanched tender tips of asparagus with warm Hollandaise sauce

Spicy parsnip and apple soup with parsnip crisps

Fresh salad leaves with your choice of vinaigrette or fine herb and mustard dressing


MAIN COURSES

Michel Roux’s Fillet of Beef with Cherry Tomato Sauce
Served with vegetable ratatouille and Parisienne potatoes

Catch of The Day
Please ask your crew for the details of today’s fresh fish selection with your choice of sage butter or puttanesca sauce served with potatoes dauphinoise and roast parsnips

Braised Lamb Shank with Shallot Jus
Served with buttered Savoy cabbage and rosemary mashed potatoes

Caesar Salad with Prawn and Crayfish


DESSERT

Traditional custard tart with gooseberry confit
Michel Roux’s warm lemon pudding with lemon syrup

CHEESE PLATE

Cornish Camembert – An unpasteurized cow’s milk cheese from Cornwall, Camembert features a creamy texture with a full flavor.

White Stilton with Ginger – The flavor of this creamy cheese is balanced by the addition of ginger

Dovedale Blue –This cheese from Derbyshire is mild, creamy and dipped in brine rather than dry salted

A basket of fresh fruit


SNACKS

Tandoori Chicken Baguette

Rocket ravioli with creamy mushroom sauce or Mascarpone cheese and sun dried tomato sauce
Served with garlic and herb croute

A selection of biscuits

A selection of cheese and fruit




The first perusal of the First Class menu is one of the best parts of the flight for me. Oh yeah… I’ll definitely start with that lobster appetizer and if I’m lucky, maybe there’ll be enough asparagus left to have some of that as well. I’m not sure I even know what a parsnip is, but it’s been awhile since I’ve had any soup so I’ll try that, too. Hmm… the entrée choice will have to wait until I find out what the catch of the day is. That cheese looks pretty good, too.

What’s that? Another Champagne? Why certainly! Man, this is a great way to start a flight – sipping Champagne and pondering delicious foodstuffs – before the aircraft has even pushed back from the gate! Macadamia nuts? But of course!




Soon enough, we were climbing though the gray London skies and bursting through thick cloud cover into the perpetually sunny world of the troposphere. The first round of beverages was served and I started with a glass of white wine. Canapés followed shortly thereafter, all of them washed down elegantly with the delicious Puligny-Montrachet.







Forty minutes into the flight, the luncheon service started in earnest. Tables were set, more wine was delivered (I’ll try the California Sauvignon Blanc this time, please) and bread was offered from the basket. My, that sourdough roll sure looks good.




The lobster appetizer was delivered moments later. Compared to the spectacular lobster salad I was served on last month’s flight between London and Singapore, today’s version was a bit more… modest. The LHR-SIN version, described in the menu as a Lobster, mango and pink grapefruit salad with honey and coriander dressing remains perhaps the finest appetizer I have ever been served inflight. Today’s salad, prepared in the same Heathrow flight kitchen, was comparatively plain. Perhaps chef Liam Tomlin is into minimalist cuisine, but I suspect that even he would have to give the nod to the LHR-SIN version for visual appeal and overall quality.




Thankfully, passenger demand for the asparagus appetizer was such that providing me with one would not be a problem. It was pretty good but I would prefer it served hot rather than cold.




Parsnip soup. Hmm… well, it was pretty good. There was a hint of apple cinnamon in the background. An eclectic but tasty choice. Remind me to go look up parsnip someday. I think it’s some kind of vegetable, though it might possibly be a small rodent instead.




Upon returning to refill my wine glass, the flight attendant noticed me taking pictures of the food. Unlike some, I have no compunctions about this, and will shamelessly fire off five or six photos of each menu item. My standard line, which I utilized today, is that I have a friend who is a flight attendant for United and so I thought I’d take a few photos to show her what a proper First Class service is all about. I’ve used this line a lot, and many FA’s are happy to hear it. Conversely, there are probably just as many who think I’m weird. What the hell - I probably am a bit weird. So what. Honestly, I could care less. Now would you mind moving out of the light for just a moment? I want to get another shot of that asparagus.

The Catch of the Day was described as Halibut. I’ve eaten plenty of that in Alaska, so I opted to go with the Fillet of Beef. I haven’t had any beef yet on this trip – at least none prepared by BA. It was a good choice. I was presented a nicely plated and attractive collection of foods. The steak was cooked medium, and was accented rather nicely by the cherry tomato sauce. I really liked the vegetable ratatouille and the potatoes were pretty good, too, though I would have thought that with a name like Potatoes Parisienne, they might have been a bit fancier than a simple collection of little round roasted potato balls. The best potatoes I ever had on an airplane were served in First Class aboard a Continental 727 flying between Miami and Houston in 1982. They were called Potatoes Berny and were like mashed potatoes that had been breaded and then lightly fried. Delicious!




Dessert was a fairly plain custard tart with gooseberry confit. I was more curious about the goose berries than anything else. They were okay though neither as colorful or flavorful as a raspberry or blueberry confit would have been.





After the meal, I relaxed over a small plate of cheese and a glass of Warre’s 1988 Colheita Port. Honestly, how many of you ever follow a meal at home with cheese and port? I reclined my seat a bit and took in the view out my window. Ahh… this is truly flight at its finest – a satisfying meal, a pleasant glass of wine and a large, comfortable seat from which to enjoy the beautiful sunny afternoon 38,000 feet above the planet. Life is good.




Strange, but I’ve always wanted to fly this route between London and Miami. Going to Miami has nothing to do with it. It’s more this mental picture I’ve always had of cruising over the central Atlantic Ocean as opposed to the north Atlantic Ocean.




In my vision, the day has that warm mid-afternoon glow to it and the ocean is a deep, beautiful blue as opposed to the cold sunshine and grayish blue of a flight over the North Atlantic. Looking out my window, I was happy to see that the vista was exactly as I’d imagined.

Eight and a half hours is a long time to spend on an airplane, especially a daytime flight when you don’t feel like sleeping. Were this thirty years ago, I’d be heading upstairs to the lounge about now.




Instead, I reclined my seat to almost flat position, tossed on a blanket, and pondered my lot in life. One question I particularly enjoy revisiting is “Where was I one year ago today?”

Today is April 2nd, 2008. Here’s where I’ve been on this date over the past six years:

2008 Flying from London to Miami, First Class aboard British Airways

2007 Riding the train from Arica, Chile up to Tacna, Peru

2006 Driving from Page, Arizona through Monument Valley to Durango, Colorado

2005 Flying from Vancouver to Hong Kong, First Class aboard Cathay Pacific

2004 Flying from Melbourne to London, First Class aboard British Airways

2003 Mileage running on Northwest Airlines DTW-BNA-MEM-DTW-LAX-SEA

2002 Traveling from Port Arthur to Hobart in Tasmania

What will I be doing next year on this date? Hopefully something as fun and entertaining as I’ve done over the past six years.




About an hour and a half before our arrival in Miami, I awoke to a darkened cabin and the distinct sound of snoring from the man back in 3A. Thank goodness he wasn’t snoring earlier in the flight or I’d never have gotten to sleep. With the arrival of the A380 to BA’s fleet in 2012, perhaps BA might consider installing a separate location for those who snore louder than 70db.

A check of our location on the SkyMap showed us cruising along at a sprightly 543 mph about 80 miles southwest of Bermuda. Soon it would be time for the second meal service:


ENGLISH AFTERNOON TEA

SNACKS

A selection of sandwiches featuring:

Crayfish and rocket on wholemeal
Chicken and tarragon mayonnaise
Savoury cheese and red onion
English cucumber with soft cheese and dill

Chicken and tomato chutney lattice pie

PATISSERIE

Plain or fruit scones served warm with clotted cream and strawberry jam

Chocolate Florentine, chocolate éclair and classic Victoria sponge


The chicken and tomato chutney lattice pie sounded good, so I requested one of those and a plate of scones. What we call scones in America don’t begin to compare to a proper British scone served with clotted cream and jam. The clotted cream is what really makes them special, particularly with a good cup of coffee. Or tea if you live on the other side of the Atlantic.

The flight attendant soon returned to inform me that unfortunately, the caterers had loaded a warm savoury Danish pastry in place of the chicken and tomato pie. Unfortunately, indeed. If you look up “savoury” at dictionary.com, you’ll find the following definition: “Having an agreeably pungent taste” From past experience with BA’s “savoury” Danish pastries, I can tell you they are mostly a lot of flaky bread with very little filling from which I presume the term “savory” would apply. Hmm… I’ll have the sandwiches, please.







And so I did, savoring a crayfish and rocket sandwich as the captain announced our gradual descent into Miami. 19,000 feet below us, the sunshine glittered brilliantly off the deep blue ocean. Small puffy clouds dotted the 6,000 foot level. As we banked into the western sky and lined up for our approach into Miami International, I took in the beautiful Florida coastline and considered what a treat it is to be able to see it from this perspective. Down below, the combination of buildings, traffic and over population often combine to distract from the gentle beauty of Florida in its natural state.

We touched down smoothly at 6:05pm local time. Despite a flight time of eight hours and forty-seven minutes, I would gladly have turned right around and flown this aircraft back to London. And beyond. Granted, you’re dealing with a guy who once flew 104,000 miles in three weeks, spending an average of 11.97 hours per day in the air. Obviously, I enjoy flying. And, as any of you who also enjoy flying know, doing so in International First Class is truly something special.

Though BA’s First Class product may not currently provide the quality of seating and amenities now being offered by airlines like Singapore or Emirates, it is still a good, solid service that should rank comfortably amongst the top ten in the industry. The comfort, food and service were outstanding and well worthy of the 150,000 miles expended. My thanks go out to all of the BA staff and crewmembers who looked after me. I look forward to experiencing the new First Class product when it’s unveiled in 2009.


* * * * * * * * *


Although I had no more international First Class flights to look forward to, my journey was far from over. Ahead of me lay 3500 miles of road, rail and flight paths. I started by visiting friends in Homestead, Florida. Located about 40 miles south of Miami, Homestead is the perfect starting point for adventures in Everglades and Biscayne National Parks as well as the Florida Keys.

It’s been ten years since I drove all the way down to Key West. Alas, making up for lost sleep was more important than getting an early morning start so my ten year absence from the southernmost point in the contiguous United States will continue until at least next September. Still, for those who don’t have the time to drive all the way down to Key West and back (about 250 miles roundtrip), a trip even halfway down the Keys is a worthy expedition for there is plenty of beautiful scenery along the way. I drove down to Pigeon Key, located just south of the famous Seven Mile Bridge.




I stopped for lunch at a neat little roadside diner that advertised award winning Latin food though the lunch menu seemed devoid of anything I’d recognize as Latin. Instead, I enjoyed what just might be the finest grilled chicken sandwich I’ve ever had. I got my Latin meal later that day when we all went out to a nice Cuban restaurant in Homestead.

Seat 2A

April 4, 2008
Miami – Sebring - Palatka
Amtrak’s Silver Meteor/Silver Star
Economy Class

The last time I rode any trains in Florida was in 1984. I’d purchased two separate All Aboard America Passes for a combined total of $375.00 and commenced a 21,940 mile ride around America aboard 27 separate trains. Did I ever mention I enjoy riding trains almost as much as I enjoy flying? Anyway, one of the more enjoyable aspects of that trip from 24 years ago was blending all those train rides with flights aboard six little known and, with one exception, short lived airlines. Here are the airlines that I flew upon:

Sunworld International Airlines Las Vegas to Ontario DC-9-10
Cascade Airlines Seattle to Pasco Hawker-Sidley HS748
Horizon Air Pasco to Seattle DC-9-10
Northeast International Miami to St. Petersburg 727-100
Florida Express St. Petersburg to Orlando BAC-111
Air One St. Louis to Kansas City 727-100

Only Horizon Air still flies today. That flight was operated with a DC-9 wet leased from All Star Airlines. The aircraft was number 4 off the DC-9 production line. All Star sold it to Midwest Express in 1986 where it soldiered on as N500ME until it was sold in 2004 to East African Safari Express for whom it still flies today. All of the other aircraft flown have either been parked, scrapped or broken up for spares.

Once again I was taking a train to get to a plane, though the pair of American MD-80s I had booked between Jacksonville, Dallas and Denver were fairly ordinary compared to the eclectic collection of airlines and airliners I looked forward to years ago. American offered a much better roundtrip fare between Jacksonville and Denver than anything being offered out of south Florida. With the savings, I tried hard to find a way to fly aboard SkyBus Airlines, who was offering a $39.00 fare between Ft. Lauderdale and Greensboro, NC. From Greensboro or High Point I could catch Amtrak down to Jacksonville. Unfortunately, the times just didn’t work out in addition to which, sadly, SkyBus declared bankruptcy and ceased all operations on the very day I would have flown them up to Greensboro.

In any event, the new plan finds me riding a pair of Amtrak streamliners between Miami and Palatka, located just 20 miles down rural route 207 from Hastings, Florida where a good friend of mine lives. Now I could have just purchased a single ticket between Miami and Palatka but I liked the idea of riding the Silver Meteor up to Sebring, Florida and then connecting to the Silver Star for the rest of the journey on to Palatka. At Winter Haven, the next stop up the line, the Silver Star swings over to Lakeland and Tampa before returning to the CSX line on to Palatka. I’d never ridden the Tampa spur, so today presented an excellent opportunity to do just that. Layover time in Sebring would be just over an hour, assuming that each train operated on time. They didn’t.

Departure from the nondescript Miami Amtrak Station was on time but unfortunately we encountered a number of delays due to freight traffic and so rather quickly found ourselves running thirty, forty and then fifty minutes late. By the time we pulled into Sebring, it was almost 1:00pm. My onward train to Palatka was scheduled to depart Sebring at 12:59pm. Were we in Europe I would have been in big trouble, but here in Florida the Silver Star was also running late, so I wasn’t too concerned. Actually, the Silver Star departs Miami about an hour after the Silver Meteor and uses the exact same trackage up to Sebring.

I’ve ridden a lot of trains in my time and I feel quite confident in stating that Amtrak offers the finest long distance Economy class rail transport in the world. The seats are wide and well padded, have good recline and include a leg rest. The legroom is substantial (about a 55” pitch). In addition, a 120 volt power outlet is located at each seat. The lounge and dining cars offer comfortable seating with affordable and tasty fare.

It’s a three hour ride up to Sebring (four hours today). I spent the first two hours of it in the lounge car where I purchased a coffee and a breakfast sandwich for under $5.00 total and then retired to a corner table to read the morning paper and enjoy my breakfast. The scenery between Miami and West Palm Beach is unremarkable. The prettiest scenery is of course along the beaches, where expensive hotels and condos take up most of the available real estate. The old Atlantic Coast Line (now CSX) mainline runs much of the way along Interstate 95 until West Palm beach where the tracks head inland and the scenery becomes more rural. Orange orchards and attractive horse pastureland figure prominently for the rest of the ride into Sebring.

The Sebring Station was built in 1924 by the Atlantic Coast Line. After years of neglect through the seventies and eighties, the station was refurbished and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. It’s a nice looking little station but its location two miles from downtown Sebring leaves much to be desired. There are no businesses anywhere nearby and the only facilities inside the station are toilets and a couple of vending machines.




About a dozen people were waiting for the northbound Silver Star, which was running 45 minutes late. A little boy clapped his hands in glee as the big P-42 locomotives approached with a nine car consist in tow.








The coach cars were at the rear of the train and as I climbed aboard and took a seat in the second car from the end, I was ever so thankful for the nice, cool air conditioning because outside the temperature and humidity were fairly uncomfortable for a northerner like me.




Shortly after departing Sebring, the Dining Car steward issued the last call for lunch. That sounds like a great idea! An hour in the diner would make for a pleasant diversion from the six hour journey through Florida’s pretty though hardly dramatic scenery. Here’s a copy of Amtrak’s menu:

AMTRAK MENU

Seating in Amtrak’s dining cars is communal, so normally you can expect to be sat in whatever seat or seats are available. Rarely will one or two people ever get a table to themselves. Today proved to be the exception, perhaps because most passengers had already eaten. I was seated at my own table and had plenty of room to spread out a newspaper while awaiting my cheeseburger and chips.




After lunch, I retired to the lounge car where I put in some work on this trip report and had a nice chat with a couple from England who were three weeks into a six month trip around the world. They’d just spent two weeks in Florida and had another month and a half to enjoy the incredible buying power of their British Pounds in America before heading across the Pacific to New Zealand and Australia. I gave them some good tips on places worthy of a visit in the western U.S., along with the website for American Auto Driveaway, a good place to find cars needing to be delivered around America. All you pay for is gas.

We crossed the St. Johns River just south of Palatka about 8:00 pm. Minutes later I stepped off the train and took a moment to admire the beautiful old Palatka Railroad Station before piling into a lovingly restored Volkswagen van and heading off to Hastings with my friends.


April 7, 2008
Jacksonville – Dallas - Denver
American Airlines Economy Class
DC-9-80 N409AA / N411AA

Having booked a pair of American MD-80s to get me from Jacksonville to Denver via Dallas, perhaps I should have been more concerned. Hundreds of American flights had been cancelled in the past week due to the Federal Aviation Administration’s airworthiness directive related to the bundling of wires in the MD-80’s wheel wells. News reports showed thousands of unhappy travelers stranded in airports, which no doubt caused many more thousands of passengers to get all stressed out over their upcoming travels.

Honestly, I don’t worry about stuff like this at all. It might be different if I were a business traveler who absolutely had to be in Denver on the 7th and was limited in when I’d be available to travel. Thankfully, I have the luxury of flexibility. And, as much as I’ve flown, I’ve got a better sense than most as to what my options are and how to proceed. Were the cancellations still ongoing, I would have called American and discussed my options in advance. There are a lot of different ways to get from Jacksonville to Denver on American that don’t involve MD-80s. Rule 240 would also come into play in situations like this, allowing me to be protected on other carriers. In any event, it was a moot point because by April 7th most all of American’s MD-80s were flying once again anyway. The next day however, another round of cancellations began. So - I got lucky.

I actually enjoy flying the MD-80 or, as it was once more properly known, the DC-9-80, the largest derivative of the DC-9 family. My first flight on a DC-9-80 came in June 1983 aboard Hawaiian Air between Honolulu and Kahului. Since then, I have logged close to 300,000 miles on the type aboard fourteen airlines. Today’s flights were aboard a pair of 22 year old airplanes, originally delivered to American in 1986. As always, they provided comfortable and reliable transport between Jacksonville, Dallas and Denver. I’ll be looking forward my 296th flight aboard the “Super 80” next week.



Crossing the Mississippi River enroute to Dallas

Seat 2A

THE DRIVE FROM DENVER TO TECOPA SPRINGS

Springtime in the Rockies. It can be a wonderful time of year with lots of sunshine and the promise of summer just around the corner. Occasionally however, we’re reminded that regardless of what the calendar shows, springtime weather in the mountains can be quite fickle. The day before I arrived, Denver temperatures were in the 70s with abundant sunshine. The day I left to drive west into the Rockies, the high for the day was forecast to be in the low 40s. Wind and snow were forecast in the central mountains, with accumulations of 2-5” during the day and another 6-10” that night.

I’m born and raised in Colorado. I’ve driven just about every paved highway west of the Rockies. Driving in winter conditions is not a big deal if you respect the conditions and drive appropriately. Unfortunately, too many drivers don’t. During winter conditions along the I-70 corridor, the biggest danger you face is other drivers. People who drive too fast for the conditions cause way more problems than the weather ever does.

I checked the weather forecast statewide and found that the worst weather would be in the central Rockies. Wanting none of it, I chose the southern route out of Denver along US 285 over Kenosha Pass, across South Park and down to Poncha Springs. There I picked up US 50 over Monarch Pass and across to Montrose before calling it a day in the pretty little town of Delta, Colorado. Although I initially encountered snow and sleet, roads conditions were generally good all along the route.







One of my favorite things about driving around the back roads of America is staying in old motels. Once known as Tourist Camps or Auto Courts, these smaller roadside accommodations came into being in the late 1920s and 1930s as cars became common and more vacations began to center around driving. The first auto courts were more like campgrounds with small cabins and communal toilet and cooking facilities. Located on the outskirts of most towns and generally set around a central courtyard, these accommodations were designed to be automobile friendly. You could park next to your individual room, or under a carport. Eventually, filling stations, restaurants and cafes began to appear nearby.

Route 66 between Chicago and Santa Monica, California probably did more to promote the modern day motel than any other highway in America. The “motel” became a fully integrated building under a single roof. Swimming pools and restaurants were often located on site as well. One of the things I liked most about many of the older motels were the colorful neon signs at their entrance. After a long day of driving, the warm, bright colors of the sign advertising amenities like color TV or air conditioning were a welcome and alluring sight.

Above all else, motels are an affordable alternative to expensive hotels in town. I don’t believe I’ve ever paid more than $50.00 for a motel room, and in most cases I’ve paid a lot less. Many places around the west charge no more than $35.00 per night and there are still plenty of places with rates in the high 20s. The least I ever paid was in 1988 when I booked a room at the Alpine Motel in Bozeman, Montana for just $9.00 a night. I’ve stayed in plenty of $30.00 per night motel rooms that offered more space and amenities than some fancy hotels going for five times that price.

While many inexpensive motels can be quite good, some of them can also be quite rundown. We’ve all heard the horror stories and jokes about run down motels with springy beds, leaky plumbing and peeling paint. There are plenty of places like those around. There are many more motels that are clean and well run.

Often, though not always, the quality of a motel can be discerned from its overall appearance. First and foremost, does it look inviting? Does the building appear to be well maintained? Do the grounds look clean? Next, I look at the amount of space between the doors to each room. It’s a good indicator of how spacious the rooms are. And what about those windows… I like a big window set waist high, not a small window mounted high up on the wall. Also, I much prefer single level ranch-style construction to multi-level buildings such as Motel 6s. It’s also worth noting that many older motels are more solidly built than the newer multi-story buildings. This generally means better insulation between rooms and less noise. Regardless, It’s perfectly acceptable to ask to inspect a room in advance.

In Delta, I stayed at the Westways Court Motel. I was immediately attracted by the warm, log cabin construction, not to mention the bright flashing neon sign at the entrance. My room was paneled in rich pine wood and included a refrigerator and microwave along with the 20” TV. While outside the wind whistled and the rain poured, inside the old gas heater kept the room comfortably warm. I paid $39.95 for that room. Across the highway, a room at the Best Western was going for $92.00.







The next day, I drove across Utah and spent the night in Kanab, located just outside Zion National Park.

Eagle Canyon Overlook from Intertstate 70



Scenic Buttes



Kanab is surrounded by some of the prettiest scenery in the west, highlighted by the reddish colored cliffs and canyons on the edge of town. Also nearby are the north rim of the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon National Park. It’s an area that epitomizes the beauty of the western American landscape. Hollywood film studios took notice as well. Movie making was a large part of Kanab’s history from the 1930's-1990's, when over 300 movies and TV shows were filmed in the area.

The Parry Lodge was opened in 1931, primarily to house the movie stars and crews who were beginning to come to Kanab with increasing frequency. The white colonial style lodge, set amidst towering cottonwood trees, is one of the most attractive hotels I’ve ever seen. I’d much rather stay a in a nice, older hotel like this than a shiny new Hyatt or Sheraton.




Normally, the Parry Lodge is closed during the winter months but this year it remained open to house workers from a large road construction project nearby. During the tourist season, the rooms would be a bit out of my price range but now, during the offseason, I was assigned the Sammy Davis Jr. suite for just $36.00 per night. I was also given a coupon that would allow me to enjoy a buffet breakfast in the dining room for just $3.50.







The next morning, I took full advantage of the breakfast buffet before firing up my trusty Chrysler 300 and speeding off into the Arizona desert. On this bright sunny morning, I was particularly thankful that my car was equipped with satellite radio. There aren’t many radio stations out in this part of the country, and most of those that I can pick up in the morning are presenting the Rush Limbaugh Show. Once, while driving out of Green River, Utah, I picked up five separate stations playing blasting Rush. In a conservative state like Utah, I suspect Rush Limbaugh is revered almost as much as Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon faith. Though I actually agree with some of Limbaugh’s points, more often than not I find him an egotistical blowhard who presents only half the truth – the half that’s convenient to his position. Now, with satellite radio, I could tune in everything from NFL Radio to the Grateful Dead channel to the BBC to Coffeehouse Rock.

As I sped westward along Arizona Highway 389, I had the radio tuned to the CBC news. I couldn’t help but sit up and take notice when a report came on about the so-called polygamist ranch situation down in west Texas. At the time, I was about five minutes out of Colorado City, a small town on the Arizona – Utah border that was founded by the FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), the very same folks who are at the root of the problems down in Texas. Much of what’s being reported today in Texas has been going on for years in Colorado City. The local religious leader, Warren Jeffs, was recently convicted of arranging illegal marriages between his adult male followers and underage girls. He is now doing time in the Utah State Prison.

Interestingly, Colorado City and its neighbor Hildale, Utah have the world's highest incidence of fumarase deficiency, an extremely rare genetic condition which causes severe mental retardation. Geneticists attribute this to the prevalence of cousin marriage between descendants of two of the town's founders, Joseph Smith Jessop and John Y. Barlow. At least half the roughly 8,000 inhabitants of these two towns are descended from one or both men.

There’s one other interesting sight worthy of note when driving through this town: There are a lot of really large houses. Why? The patriarchs needed the extra room for all the wives and children.

I had lunch in Springdale, Utah – the gateway town to Zion National Park. I lived there back in 1997 when I worked the Backcountry Desk and Visitor Center with NPS in Zion. The town is in a beautiful setting but sadly is becoming trendy and overpriced as the locals have wholeheartedly embraced tourism and all the extra money that comes with it.

Friend’s place (condo on the end) where I lived in Springdale, Utah



Later, I stopped in at the 101 Rancho, a bar that, by appearances, tends to scare off most self respecting tourists. The irony in this is that Marty and Mabel, the two septuagenarian owners, are two of the nicest ladies you’ll ever meet. I swilled a 3.2 Budweiser with a stick of beef jerky and then continued on my western heading, ultimately ending up 160 miles down the road in Caliente, Nevada.

It was a Friday night and because of a rodeo up in Panaca, the motel was expecting a busy night. Caliente’s population is listed at about 1000 residents and there are two motels in town. There are no motels in Panaca, nor much of anything else aside from rodeo facilities, evidently. I got stuck there while hitch-hiking from southern California to Colorado back in 1975. My ride was going to Ely but I saw on the map that a Highway 56 ran from Panaca to Cedar City, Utah. There I’d be back on the Interstate and headed to Colorado. Twenty-two hours later, after being passed by only a dozen cars or so, I gave up on Highway 56 to Cedar City and decided to head back to Interstate 15 and try my luck there. It was the right decision.




The old Union Pacific depot at Caliente, Nevada



Flashing back to the present, no crazed rodeo fans ever showed up at the Midway Motel (they must have gone to the larger Shady Motel) and so I spent a blissfully quiet night. In the morning I had a good omelet at the local eatery and then continued on the final leg of my journey to Tecopa Springs.

From Caliente, US 93 heads west and then south through some of the some of the emptiest, most desolate, and yet strangely beautiful terrain in the United States.

Classic Great Basin scenery, as seen between Caliente and Ash Springs, NV.



Arid desert, rocky canyons, rugged mountains and broad valleys strewn with Joshua trees mark the first forty miles between Caliente and Hiko Junction where Nevada 375 (The Extraterrestrial Highway) heads northwest towards Tonopah. The highway takes its nickname from its proximity to Area 51 where legend has it the government incarcerated some aliens whose ship had crashed in New Mexico. Continuing south to Las Vegas, the highway runs through portions of the Great Basin Desert that look as if they’ve been scorched by a giant blowtorch. Temperatures out here regularly exceed 100° during the summer months.

In Las Vegas, I stopped at a gas station on Las Vegas Blvd. that sits directly under the flight path of airliners landing or taking off from McCarran Field. Today they were landing and I managed to snap off a couple of nice photos in addition to topping off my gas tank.

Unlike many, I have no interest in visiting Las Vegas. I think I would have liked the place back in the 60s and 70s, though. It was much smaller then and not so ostentatiously gaudy. These days it’s like some weird theme park. I have nothing against gambling or gamblers but casinos drive me nuts. All that noise. No windows. Lights flashing all the time. Did I mention all that noise?

Anyway, on to Tecoma Hot Springs. Turning off I-15 at Warm Springs Rd., I accelerated smoothly up the highway towards Pahrump, sixty miles distant. Some people may know Pahrump as the place where kooky old Art Bell used to broadcast his late night radio show from. Pahrump – in the kingdom of Nye. Well, it is the county seat for Nye County. It’s also one of the fastest growing cities in Nevada. I drove through about two miles of suburban sprawl, stopping only for a couple of stoplights before turning onto Nevada Highway 261 and speeding off into a mirage.

There’s an attractive desolation and starkness to the Mojave Desert that I really like. I particularly love the sight of a desert highway laid out in a straight line stretching fifteen miles or more across a valley floor.




Of course, I’m fortunate to be able to enjoy the desert from comfort of a fairly new automobile, speeding along at 70mph in air conditioned ecstasy. For those who aren’t so fortunate, the Mojave can be a vast and foreboding place. This is especially true if you’re on foot or horseback. More than a few unlucky souls have perished under the relentless summer sun. Temperatures in Death Valley routinely breach 110° every day during the summer months. Last year I saw a reading of 136°. Today was a relatively pleasant 89°.

Just south of Shoshone, California, I came to the junction with California Highway 127, the road that would deliver me to Tecopa Springs. Since Shoshone was only half a mile away, I decided to drive up there and have a look. Wow – what a nice little oasis. After driving through miles of barren desert landscape accented by nothing more colorful than cacti and creosote bushes, Shoshone was a nice little oasis with lots of beautiful green shade trees and an air conditioned bar serving ice cold beer! I pulled right in there and languished over a delicious Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Misguided foreigners who charge that America has no good beers should come to Shoshone on a hot day and wrap their lips around a cold Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. And, while they’re at it, they could travel around the back roads of America and sample any of the fifty or so world class beers from our selection of thousands. What a shame that Budweiser and Miller seem to be the chief American beer exports.

Shoshone, California. The Crowbar is on the right



But I digress. Twenty miles down CA 127 is the turn off for Tecopa Springs.

Tecopa Springs as seen from across a dry lakebed on the edge of town



After 19,640 miles aboard three airlines, one railroad and fifteen highways, I’ve finally arrived. Technically speaking, the name of the town is Tecopa and the hot springs are about a mile out of town. Most folks just know it as Tecopa Springs though. With a population of only 99, it’s a quiet little place, exactly what I’m looking for at the end of this eleven day journey.

Photos of the hostel I stayed at in Tecopa Springs










Tomorrow, I start on my next trip. Or continue this one. I haven’t decided yet.

Either way, the road goes on forever and the party never ends…

Moomba

Damn shame I am at work and don't have time to read all of this report yet.

What I have read so far is making me eagerly await the close of day here in London.

Your glowing descriptions of BA service have led me to one conclusion. You have been lucky with you BA First crews. I have had some very ordinary service from BA First crew over the past couple of years. Having said that I have also had some stellar crew.

I think you will find the wine you had in the First Lounge at Sydney was Yerring Sation not Yening Station.

Also I am surprised you didn't note that the 'wooden sculptures' you mentioned were designed to represent the struts in an aeroplane wing.

I am looking forward to reading in the rest of this report in the next few days.

camsean

What an amazingly detailed trip report. Good job! It sounds like you love your food and also a good bargain and both are pretty cool with me as well.

Seat 2A

Quote:Your glowing descriptions of BA service have led me to one conclusion. You have been lucky with you BA First crews. I have had some very ordinary service from BA First crew over the past couple of years. Having said that I have also had some stellar crew.

It's true that I am guilty of accentuating the positive more than the negative with regard to inflight service. Still, I've had very good service from about 88% of BA's crews.

Quote:I think you will find the wine you had in the First Lounge at Sydney was Yerring Sation not Yening Station.

Thanks for the clarification on this, as I'd like to get more of that wine. I had asked the waiter to write it down but it appears I misread his handwriting

Mwenenzi

Another masterpeice ^
Pity our paths did not cross when you went though Melbourne. Next time maybe.

For that wine: Victoria's first vineyard, Yering Station, is located in the 'heart' of the Yarra Valley only one hours drive from Melbourne

goback

Tremendous report as usual Seat 2A. Your depth of experience on all sorts of airlines and aeroplanes is always very welcome in your reports. I'm certainly saving points to have a FIRST experience as well.

Yum. Parsnip. Great roasted (just like was offered with the Catch of the Day for this flight). Think of a white carrot.

uncertaintraveler

Fascinating report and lovely photos. Thanks for sharing.

greggwiggins

Another marvelous trip report; well worth the wait.

Wait. I take that back.

“Marvelous” is too much of an understatement.

And by starting his account at the Alice Springs Airport, Seat 2A has given me the chance to boast of having essayed one of the worst/best puns of my life at that location. And, sad for you, to repeat it. (THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING!)

My first visit to Australia was in 1988, and included an early afternoon departure from an earlier iteration of Alice Springs’ air terminal on the now-defunct East-West Airlines.

The flight was aboard a one-class Fokker F28 jet and I had an aisle seat in the second row. More precisely, I was assigned to seat 2B.

Twenty years ago the airport at Alice Springs did not offer the amenities described in Seat 2A’s more recent account. There was however, a small bar where I found a seat and enjoyed a sandwich, a beer and a flirtation with the lovely young woman behind the counter.

At the same counter was a gentleman who, perhaps, was nervous about flying and had decided on having a drink as one way he could prepare to travel. However, he had gotten himself extremely overprepared.

Hammered, smashed, way majorly drunkipoo.

To put it more delicately, this dude was bleep-faced. Enough so that he put his face down on the bar, closed his eyes, and left the worries of the world for a time.

Beside him was his boarding pass. Which, since I could read it without disturbing his slumber, I realized was for the same flight I would be taking. For a window seat in the second row. For seat 2A, the seat next to mine.

Let me digress and assure the readers that I mean no slander of our nearly-universally admired OP, Seat 2A. This was a different person who in the absence of the ‘real’ Seat 2A, had simply been assigned that seat.

But after looking at his boarding pass I commented to my new friend behind the counter that I had the seat next to the now-unconscious man drooling on her bar on the next flight to Sydney. She suggested that I should consider changing my seat assignment.

This gave me the once in a lifetime opportunity to reply:

“Yes. 2B or not 2B. That is the question.”

I dodged the small towel that was thrown at me, but I know it was not done in anger because the lovely young woman followed it with a free beer. I also know that because we exchanged addresses as well (it was before e-mail, youngsters, much less texting) and I played her guide to Washington, D.C. in 1989.

I have other very fond memories from her visit to the U.S. that are why I’m sure she bore no hard feelings for my wordplay but, frankly, those are none of your business.

P.S.: I don't know what ever happened to him, but the drunk from Alice Springs did not board that early afternoon flight to Melbourne.