Originally bought this as an AA ticket (knowing it would be on CP planes) to get the OneWorld 100k bonus (actually two of them)

10 December AA 6550 (CP 520) YVR-SF) 737

Got to YVR to check in. Called 2 days prior to flight to find all of AA's upgrade seats were taken. Quick check-in and get my boarding pass for a row 5 seat. Proceed through US INS (bit of a queue but only 3-5 minutes) and then customs. Use an old AIF ticket (don;t ask for details).

Note on the boarding pass that the flight is listed as CP 520 although the ticket was by AA. Credits into my CP account 5 days later as an AA flight but I wanted it credited to my BA Canada account. Called C-Plus agent who puts me on hold while calling CPlus central. Get cut off but she calls back and duely removes it and tells me they'll inform BA Canada. thanks, CPlus agent.

Go to the US Empress Lounge to find it full of loud americans (since it is a shared AAdmiral's Club). No difference here except I think there are fewer snacks and the Starbucks espresso machine isn;t going to get here.

Go to the gate 1/2 hr prior to departure to ask for an upgrade, and get it. Seat 3F, starboard window seat on the last business class row.

Boarding begins 25 mins prior to departure time of 1400. Boarding is quick (for a decently full flight - business class is full) and doors close and the plane is pushbacked at or just after 1400. Quick taxi to departure way for takeoff towards the east. Usual boarding drinks and post-takeoff drink order.

As flight levels (nothing to see on ground due to heavy cloud), FAs bring drinks and mixed nuts. Proceed to bring out hot towels and lay out linen on tray tables for lunch as well as offering 2 wines. Paradoxically, the wine selection gets better as the CP ship goes down (emptying out the cellar?). Lunch turns out to be a shrimp salad on a bed of rice and a fruit salad bowl accompanied by a box of swiss chocolates instead of the made-in-vancouver "belgian" chocolates. Two varieties of rolls are offered.

Lunch is cleared away after serving tea and coffee and after drink liquor offer is made. Uneventful flight. Clouds give way over Napa/Sonoma/Medocino counties and a view of the coast is offered. Pilot points out San Andreas fault. Flight get to Point Reyes before aiming for Livermore and turning south of the south bay bridge and doing a 180 to line up for SFO and a 20 minute early arrival at 1600 due to good tailwinds. Dock at gate 61 at SFO and made for a quick exit.

14 December AA6548 (CP 515) 737

Check in at the AA counters ar PDX. Checkin agent tells me there are no upgrade seats. Get to the AAdmirals' club at SFO and ask about an upgrade. No problem and gives me seat 3C and takes 2 500-mile stickers away. AAdmiral's club is as scummy as ever. Only a big bowl of salty non-nut snacks and tea/coffee are available and the place is full of noisy americans - one of who hogs the Bloomberg terminal area so he can use his PC and chat to his pal. I shouldn't be surpised that there are bar flies at the AAdmiral's Club bar but am shocked nonetheless.

See plane arrive into gate 61 which the lounge overlooks. Go there early for boarding - see kangarooed-tail BA 747-400 arrive and it is called Wunala Dreaming like it's QF counterpart?

Agent calls for preboarding and boarding of elite/business class member simultaneously. FAs distribute Canada customs cards on boarding. This is new for me on any airline (distributing landing cards on boarding).

Service is exceptionally good from a male FA in the business class cabin. This 737 has been reupholstered in business class, been repainted to the goose logo and has EmPower ports as well as music, and overaisle video monitors. CP's valiant but vain attempt to keep up with AC's fleet.

Pushback is just about on schedule and the plane makes it way for a takeoff NE into the bay towards Oakland/Vallejo. Pilots noticeably quiet. Make an introductory announcement at SFO with weather forecast in YVR and say nothing after that all the way to YVR.

Service is pretty much the same as the way up. headphones and blankets are offered. FA apologises for lack of mixed nuts but does tell passengers that dinner will be served shortly. Notice that the back gets fed a snack basket. Better than nothing.

FA offers wine/lays out linen and brings dinner which is a hot chicken/mash potato offering and green salad with the same Lindor swiss chocolates. Hot meal is probably typical AA fare. Found the cold offerings on short haul flights in/from Canada much better and tastier (and had 4 such meals since late October).

Flight had a video show which lasted just until landing into vancouver. My headphone only has 1 earphone working but not concerned. They are playing the same music selection as in November and I've flown 41 hrs on CP planes with audio this month and last. My seat also doesn't recline which is an annoyance.

Flight starts descent for Vancouver but no update on ETA. Flight gets in on about schedule at 1920. Goes through clouds most of the way and only notice a bank to right before making final approach from the west. Land and get gate 62 which is as far away as you can get. Long walk and get stuck behind a slow customs officer (13 minute wait) behind an AS flight from LAX and a charter from Mexico and possibly the tailend of a BA flight.

Didn't check in anything so I am out fast other than for the customs/immigration wait.

[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 12-17-1999).]