Although the e-pony eventually arrived with your mail, for the greater good, here are my comments. Everyone should keep in mind that some of my opinions are colored by the fare, and should realize that beyond expecting a certain level of courtesy, we're pretty tolerant of stuff, i.e. you'll never find me posting that seat 3K is the best, or that caviar is critical to life.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by PresRDC:
Hi John,
I tried to e-mail you about this, but I a message indicating that you did not get the message. Anyway, if you have a few minutes, can you elaborate on your MS F experience from JFK to CAI? I am holding a ticket on this flight later this month and am still not 100% certain whether to use this flight or am 80,000 business class Oneworld award on EI and BA to get to CAI.
Specifically, I am most interested in:
1. Check-in. How was it? Staff attitude okay?
Staff attitude was extraordinary. We were almost late due to the incoming cnx, and were made very welcome at the check-in counter. I think they expect that everyone who flies First is at least a semi-important person.
2. Security. Any special MS security or just the regular TSA experience? If MS had its own layer to security, how was it?
No additional security when we flew.
3. Boarding. Total chaos, or did they board by class?
As noted we were late and waltzed on. I rather expect that if you were there early you'd have gotten the typical international treatment, i.e. a separate line, but that's a guess.
4. Seat assignments. MS is telling me they don't preassign, even in F -- was this your experience?
I suspect we were pre-assigned, since our threesome sat together, and we boarded last. We booked through ITN, and perhaps they had something to do with it.
5. Seat comfort. How does it compare to AA's wooly mammoth or international J seats? How was the pitch?
First-class pitch, a world better than KLM AMS-JFK in J, the only long-haul J I've done recently. Somewhat comparable to SQ's arrangement the year before they got beds. I.E. lots of room, enough recline to sleep comfortably.
6. Smoking. I have some reason to beleive MS has gone non-smoking on its flights. Was this your experience?
I think it's a requirement for flights to and from the U.S.
7. Meal service. Any good? A la carte? Course by course? All at once? What meals were offered (dinner and breakfast I assume)?
Breakfast was exceptionally poor. Meals were served course by course, but the offerings were limited and very, very unexciting.
8. Did the flight arrive on time? My flight is showing a 10 hour flying time. For a 5600 mile flight, this seems like a short flying time, even for a 777.
777's fly a little faster than 744's, and the jetstream may be helpful especially during the winter.. We waited in the takeoff line at JFK for two hours - I asked the f/a to ask the crew how much fuel they burned in that situation, and iirc it was just 2000 lbs/hour - and I think we made up a little schedule but of course were late arriving.
9. Immigration/arrival in CAI. How was arriving in Terminal 1? Are there places to buy the visa stamp as there are in Terminal 2?
Two guys at a table on the left selling stamps. No issue with customs. Front cabin gets off first, so we hit the slopes before the masses.
Thanks so much. I appreciate it.</font>