calexandre

Thanks-- I'm okay. I got covered in red wine and glass: I ended up with about six wine glasses broken around me. And the turbulence itself was terrifying, even as a very seasoned frequent flyer... the sounds that plane was making, I hope I never hear again.

FA working my aisle was a champ. We had just gotten to appetizers when the turbulence struck, and although she was obviously rattled too, she was still thinking of the passengers when we left and was handing out the midflight snack dishes of chicken and noodles with silverware and napkins for us to take with us off the plane to make sure we ate something.

Otherwise I'd say credit goes less to AA than to the Tokyo staff who handled things on the ground. They bore the brunt of the logistical problems, and they were an absolute model of efficiency. Paramedics were on the plane ASAP, and then once those of us who weren't injured were off, there were dozens of staff members ready to give us our hotel vouchers, make sure we got our checked bags, and guide us directly to the bus to the hotel. It took maybe 10-15 minutes from getting off the plane to getting on the bus, and that includes the time I spent trying to get past by Japanese tv crews asking me questions about what the incident was like.