mkrecek

While I'm sure this thread is dead, I still forgot to give the fun details.
My Flight:
Monday, February 21, 2011 LAX – AMS 602 4:15pm – 11:30am 1A
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 AMS – CDG 1233 12:30pm – 1:45pm
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 AMS – LAX 601 10:30am – 12:30pm 1A

The bad news was that there was nothing I could have done to change my trip, since Frontier had no partnership with KLM (or I think even Delta for that matter), so unfortunately I would need to take the trip by myself. I enjoy flying by myself, but being in great places like Paris or Amsterdam on my own is a bummer. I had a lot of work to do and I really could not afford hotels/food for a week. (Again, KLM, Delta, Frontier could not do anything with my reservation, and I would have booked a shorter trip if I could.) To just give up 100,000 miles was too painful.

The Fun News: So I'm 1K with United and I had all these System Wides that were going to expire...and I didn't even get to use them! So here is a wild idea, why don't I just book a trip from CDG to LAX to AMS?

Wed, Feb 23 CDG-ORD-LAX UA Business SWU Instant
Sun, Feb 27 LAX-FRA-AMS Lufthansa Business SWU Paper upgrade on day of travel.

So now I am jet setting to Europe for a day two times in one week. I had absolutely no business doing this and I have told absolutely no one about it. But come on, there is no way in hell I was going to give up the KLM Trip.

The Trip:
With only my rolling computer bag with me I go up to the KLM ticket counter. Although they could have shortened the trip at the airport for a fee on the day of travel, with all the other cancelation fees, etc., it wasn't worth it, plus this was a pretty cool itinerary. I told them no worries, and without any check in luggage I went up to the Air France Lounge. After this I headed to the gate and onto the plane. My first time up at the front of a 747, seat 1A....holy cow! When going down the runway, it seemed that we were going to veer off into the grass, but I had to keep telling myself that the plane was strait, and it was my seat that was angled being at the nose. The service and food were great. The miniature porcelain Dutch house with a shot of jenever inside, were a great touch to a great flight. Made my way to Paris, walked all over, didn't sleep much (didn't sleep at all on the flight). Woke up the next day and headed back to CDG. Flew out on United in a terminal I haven't been to before. Pretty cool. Go up the escalator in a tube, then to the Red Carpet Club which had great finger food etc...better than any RCC in the US. Flew to ORD on a 767. The lie flat bed was superior to any business class recliner seat that I've sat in. The food was very good, but that was because the UA flight was out of Paris. My flight attendants were amazing...never an empty water glass. Getting back Wednesday night, while it should have been a bummer that this fun short trip was now over...who cares! I'm leaving again on Sunday! Sunday came (LAX-FRA-AMS), and I was told, when using the UA SW Paper upgrade on Lufthansa, get to the airport as soon as the ticket counter opens. It looked like Business was just about full, so probably not getting it. Cha-ching. 16A on Lufthansa 747. After taking off from LAX, the flight goes off to the left and back around. I could see where my apartment in Belmont Shore (Long Beach) was. (Every time around 3:30pm when I hear a jet fly distantly overhead, I get out my binocs, and sure enough it's that Lufthansa flight...a fun reminder of the trip!) The Luf business class seat was better than the KLM seat. Business was full and the flight attendants were very busy. Still a great experience and fun movies to be watched. Arrived at Amsterdam the next day, checked in and had a great time walking around. left the next morning (Tuesday morning) AMS - LAX KLM 747 seat 1A. The KLM lounge at AMS was huge, I wish I explored it more. The long day flight back to LAX was a lot of fun.

I need to post my comparison of Singapore, Lufthansa, KLM, and United Business class somewhere.