April 15, 2015
American Airlines San Francisco to Dallas 1155a – 527p 767-300 First Class
American Airlines Dallas to Santiago 950p – 924a 777-200 First Class
One of the things I’ve really enjoyed about this trip is how it’s quickly transitioned from one exciting chapter to another. There have been no doldrums. Staring out with a First Class jaunt to Hawaii, I’ve moved seamlessly on to a weekend of steak, bourbon and camaraderie in Indiana followed by an eleven day First Class rail odyssey around America and then a fun filled week of driving around sunny California while getting to listen to great live music and visit with old friends.
For me personally, any one of these chapters would qualify as a top notch travel experience - even going to Hawaii for a few hours if only just for breakfast. Combined, my past three weeks of travel represent just over 21000 miles of First Class adventure. For a lot of people, a trip of this scope and distance would represent adventure on the grandest scale. What really tickles me is that I’ve only just completed the first half. Now it’s on to the international portion!
I should add here that it is not my intention to tout my own travels relative to those of others. Above all I am humbly thankful that life has worked out to allow me the opportunity to take such wide ranging adventures. Many people don’t have that opportunity, regardless of whether they have either the time or the money. I feel truly blessed.
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I awoke to a gorgeous morning on California’s spectacular Pacific coast. It was the kind of day that defines the quality of life and beauty for which the Golden State is so widely renowned. After showering and repacking, I savored a coffee and Danish with a few of my fellow hostellers, many of whom were headed off on adventures of their own – albeit none quite so immediately distant as mine. Before departing for the airport, I paused to take a couple of photographs from the front yard of the hostel…
Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel
Looking North up the Pacific Coast from Montara Point
From Montara it’s a short 35 minute drive up the coast and over the coastal mountains before dropping down into SFO. I had some concerns about locating SFO’s Car Rental Facility but those proved to be baseless thanks to the numerous well placed road signs which provided excellent direction. By 10:30am I was checked in and enjoying coffee and a nice view of the tarmac while seated at a table by the window at American’s attractive SFO Admirals Club. Had it been a bit later in the day I would have relished a beer or two from the impressive selection at the well-stocked bar.
An Impressive Selection at American’s SFO Admirals Club Bar
I’ll have to stop back here again sometime, preferably in the late afternoon with time to enjoy a cold beer or two before relocating to my First Class suite and jetting off into the setting sun bound for somewhere over the Pacific horizon.
Today however, I’ll have to settle for a Business Class seat masquerading as a First Class seat aboard a 27 year old 767-300. Truth be told, I’ve really been looking forward to this flight as I don’t get to fly aboard 767s all that often any more. I was on the inaugural flight of the type back in September of 1982 and though I’ve logged a respectable 121 total flights aboard 767s, this will be only my fourth flight over the past five years.
My 767 Awaits
I’ve never been one to queue up at the gate when a decent airline lounge can be enjoyed nearby. As such I showed up fashionably late for boarding (but still well within the prescribed parameters!), arriving onboard to find all of the First Class overhead bins filled to capacity AND my assigned seat occupied. Sigh… What’re you offering? Okay, 3A’ll do. Now then, about my carry-on bag… Off to the nether regions of the plane trod I, where I located an available bin back at row 17.
I’ve logged about a dozen flights aboard American’s 767s but this was my first time back in First Class since my very first flight on one between Dallas and Newark back in 1989. Things sure have changed over the past twenty-six years! Back then AA ran a three class configuration on its 767-300s with the First Class cabin featuring big, wide lamb’s wool covered recliners arranged 2-1-2. American’s current promotional materials would have me believe that the newfangled molded plastic and fabric contraptions masquerading as First/Business Class on today’s airplane are the cat’s meow but I’m not buying it. The seats are narrow and the cushions surprisingly hard. Overall, they’re not particularly comfortable for sitting in. Sure, the Wi-Fi is improved and the seats do indeed lie flat but That’s why this time I’m traveling on mileage points!
Before commencing my travels, I paid a visit to Flyertalk’s American Airlines Forum – specifically the thread dealing with inflight meal service. While I found very little commentary on the actual food being served, there was a surprising amount of angst driven commentary over AA’s apparent decision to dispense with linens on many of its domestic services. I think linens are a nice touch but I can think of a lot of other service cutbacks that would irk me more than the elimination of tray linens from my luncheon service. Indeed, I don’t believe I’ve seen linen on Alaska Airlines for at least two or three years now – maybe more. The more glaring omission from AA’s service was the lack of any pre-departure beverage service – not even a glass of water! Shameful!
Following a surprisingly spunky 22 second takeoff roll, we made an immediate turn to the east and were crossing over the shores of the East bay just two and a half minutes later. By then we were already climbing through 8000 feet and speeding along at an impressive 300 some odd miles per hour. I reclined my seat a bit and took in the view until our ever increasing altitude rendered the detail irrelevant.
We were 30 minutes into the flight when service commenced with a presentation of hot thin washcloths. Drink orders were taken and I was informed that the 8 year old Jim Beam Black label had been replaced with Canadian Club. Hmm… make mine a club soda with lime, please. Drinks were served with a ramekin of tasty mixed nuts and a promise to return shortly with the luncheon choices. While savoring that first crisp pull off my club soda, I took a moment to peruse American’s inflight entertainment selections.
U.S. airlines always play it safe with their movie selections, pandering to the conservative sensibilities of 90 year old Midwestern grandmothers or families with young children. It wasn’t always so. Back in the early 1970s, I remember seeing The French Connection on a flight. It was a fairly violent movie, though it did win the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1972. I also remember seeing Beverly Hills Cop on a flight in the mid-eighties. That one was memorable because the censors had cleaned up Eddie Murphy’s dialogue to the point that he sounded more like an Oxford graduate than a rogue Detroit cop. Today’s movie was called “Paddington” - something about an animated bear… Maybe if I had kids…
This afternoon’s luncheon offerings were a choice between Ravioli or Chicken Breast with Broccoli and Polenta. It’s a rare occasion that I’ve been served good pasta on an airplane. More often than not it’s a mess of mediocre pasta and bargain-basement cheesy goo. Eastern Airlines used to offer a pretty decent chicken and rotini dinner back in the late seventies and I also recall Northwest serving up a halfway decent meat lasagna back in the eighties. In coach, no less. Since then – meh. I requested the chicken.
Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!
Much to the dismay of any gourmands at Flyertalk’s American Inflight Dining forum, no crisp white linens were placed in advance of today’s meal. Instead I was presented a tray bearing a surprisingly attractive collection of appetizer, salad and main course. The appetizer was comprised of two devilled egg halves nestled amidst a patch of colorful garden fresh shrubbery that nobody but the most devout vegan would eat without salad dressing. I can’t help but wonder how much parsley and other greens must go to waste when employed merely as colorful food accents. I didn’t wonder for long, though. Mongo like devilled eggs! Mmm!!
The Mediterranean Salad consisted of zucchini, feta cheese and not one but three olives! The latter ingredient was notable to me at least because it was only forty or so years ago that American famously saved $40,000 per year in catering costs by removing a single olive from its dinner salads. With the elimination of all domestic coach meals, it was nice to see such a generous offering of olives with today’s salad. Unfortunately, I don’t like olives and so the effort was wasted. I briefly considered offering them to seatmate but she was wired into her laptop and tapping away with such fervor that I feared any interruption – especially one so trifling as an offer of free olives – would’ve been met with the back of her hand!
Ahem. Now then, on to the main dish – a decently sized portion of chicken breast accented with a colorful medley of green and red peppers. This was accompanied by a splot of polenta and a side of stewed broccoli. It all worked quite well, even with the glass of middling white wine.
It’s interesting in looking at the pictures above that today’s First Class meal is essentially a coach meal from the seventies. I don’t know how many of you were around back then, or amongst those of you that were might also have memories that include your inflight meals. Speaking for myself however, when it comes to airline food I have a memory right up there with the highest functioning Asberger’s Syndrome folks. And I ate a lot of coach airline food in the seventies! On most airlines the meals were very good and filling. Check out this picture of coach meals being served aboard a Pan Am 707 back in the day:
The Good Old Days of Inflight Dining
Granted, Pan Am didn’t fly domestically back then and their meals were catered to an international standard (Pan Am’s First Class International flights were catered by Maxim’s of Paris) but really, all of the U.S. carriers offered pretty decent fare. After all, since airfares were controlled by the Civil Aeronautics Board, the best means the airlines had of standing out in an effort to win customers was through great onboard service.
But enough reminiscing - for now. This is a long trip report and already the flight attendants are collecting any last cups and glasses in preparation for our landing at DFW. By the way, dessert was a chocolate torte, served separately from the main meal and tastefully topped with a plump red raspberry. The comparison to 1970s coach class service notwithstanding, this was a pretty nice flight by 2015 standards. Well done, AA.
Chocolate Torte Dessert
Even though we clearly landed at Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport, we taxied as if we’d landed over at Greater Southwest International Airport, located 5 miles to the south. It looked to me as if we taxied down the length of one side of the airport past the D & B terminals, then crossed over and headed up to the C terminal, but not before first going all the way up to the E and then turning around. Rather perversely I was reminded of an incident back in 1977 where a Japan Airlines DC-8 freighter loaded with cattle bound for Japan crashed when it stalled shortly after takeoff. Its relevance to today’s tale is that the captain’s blood alcohol level was found to be almost three times higher than the Alaska state limit for drivers at that time and – more to the point – the airplane had been observed having difficulty finding its assigned runway, at one point even said to be taxiing aimlessly about. Not that our captain or crew were in any way impaired of course, but that sure was an inordinately long and winding taxi to our gate.
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Faced with a four hour layover and knowing no one in the Dallas Ft. Worth area, I hopped on the Sky Train and headed over to the D Terminal from whence my Santiago bound 777 would be departing.
Back in the day First Class service between the United States and Santiago was available via Braniff and Pan American as well as a host of South American carriers. These days American is the only airline still offering First Class service between North America and Santiago and even that is scheduled to be downgraded to a Business Class service in the near future. Additionally, the redemption for a First Class award on American between Honolulu and Santiago was only 62,500 miles. I think that’s a great deal considering the distance travelled but it still didn’t take the sting out of the fact that despite Dallas/Ft. Worth being American’s corporate headquarters as well as a significant international hub, there is no Flagship Lounge here. I can’t think of another airline from a developed country offering international First Class service that doesn’t have a top flight First Class lounge at its home port and busiest hub.
But wait – it gets worse! Upon entry to the Admirals Club I was greeted pleasantly enough and then presented with a single complimentary premium drink coupon. That’s it – just one. There was no mention of “Come on back for another one if you need it”. After all, we are talking International First Class service here. Is this how Doug Parker treats his guests at home? Honestly, this sort of parsimony would be comical if it weren’t such a poor reflection on the sad state of premium class service aboard our U.S. flag carriers. When it comes to making money, the U.S. airline approach is clearly focused on cutting costs rather than providing quality service. That’s why when it comes to international travel, they get my award points – not my dollars.
American’s DFW Admirals Club
The next three hours passed by quickly and uneventfully. As luck would have it I spied an unused drink coupon sitting near a clearly abandoned seat and so used it and my first coupon for a double Knob Creek on the rocks. Taking a seat in the Business center, I then bought myself some insurance, downloaded select songs from the two concerts I’d recently attended and then made my way down to the gate. Boarding was already underway with a fair sized line but my First Class boarding pass had me on my way down the jetway in no time. Waiting at the door was one of American’s more senior flight attendants who greeted me cordially and, after inspecting my boarding pass welcomed me into the First Class cabin with a wave of her hand. Thanks, I know the way!
The 777 operating tonight’s flight was N791AN, the One World Liveried airplane. Despite its shiny new exterior livery, inside this airplane looked no different than it did when it was delivered new to American back at the turn of the century. The original Flagship Suites, introduced amidst much fanfare back in 2000, are now old and dated compared to the latest offerings, including those of rival United Airlines. The cabin itself is more functional than elegant. The sixteen Flagship Suites are arranged 1x2x1 in stunted rows, and separated from one another by a grayish beige plastic faux tweed wrap around barrier. The overall ambience is rather bland. It should be noted however that American does offer a new and improved suite aboard its 777-300ERs but the -200s still soldier on with the original equipment which is slated to be removed and replaced with Business Class seating later this year.
American’s 777-200 Flagship Suite
American’s 777-200 First Class Cabin
On a more positive note, my Flagship Suite was as comfortable as it was functional. During takeoff and landing the seat must face in the forward position. Any other time however, it can be swiveled twenty degrees to face the built in ottoman or ninety degrees to face the windows. There are two different tables that can be used - one a large food and beverage type table that can be pulled up from the side wall, the other a smaller table that folds out as you face the windows. When the seat is swiveled towards the windows, you’ll have the best office in the sky since the smaller table that folds out from in front of the windows has ample space for a laptop or simple writing needs while at your side the larger dining table provides plenty of room for a briefcase with plenty of space left over for a drink and snacks.
At my seat were pajamas and slippers, individually packaged in plastic wrap. The wine list and menu had been laid on the table beside the seat, along with a bottle of water. A lightweight blanket, duvet and pillow were placed on the foot rest opposite the seat. A pleasing new age melody issued from the cabin speakers. I stowed my roll-a-board, set down my daypack and then fired off a couple of photographs before the cabin got too crowded. As luck would have it we had a fairly light load up front tonight with only six of the sixteen suites being occupied.
A flight attendant stopped by with a tray bearing plastic cups of water, juice and sparkling wine. True champagne is not offered because on international flights, duty must be paid on liquor being poured on the ground. That's why second tier carriers such as our U.S. airlines tend to provide only a limited pre-departure selection highlighted by a cheap sparkling wine. They don’t want to pay the bond.
Amenity kits were delivered next and I took a moment to inspect and photograph the contents. Presented in a nondescript grey suede zippered pouch, the kit contained the usual collection of creams, toiletries, tissues, socks and eyeshades one would expect for a flight of this length. While hardly as elegant as the First Class kits provided by many five star carriers, this kit was perfectly suitable for the needs of most passengers.
American’s First Class Amenity Kit
American’s First Class Amenity Kit
Surprisingly these Flagship Suites have never been upgraded with AC outlets and still provide only a miniscule 9” TV screen for IFE viewing. While I’m mildly surprised that American has never seen fit to address even the AC outlets over the past few years, I’m also thankful that these shortcomings will represent no great imposition on my flight experience as I intend to enjoy a nice dinner, read a bit and then try to get as much sleep as possible on this short eight hour and fifty-three minute flight.
Pushback was as punctual as a Swiss train and soon we were positioned at the head of the runway awaiting the go ahead from the tower. When it came the Captain throttled up the twin Rolls Royce Trent 800s powering our 500,000 lb. jet and the combined thrust of approximately 180000 lbf pushed us down the runway for a good 41 seconds until we had achieved sufficient speed to defeat the twin forces of gravity and drag. Rotation was almost imperceptible as we left terra firma and climbed ever so smoothly into the cool clear Texas night.
The forward cabin of the 777-200 can be pretty noisy during the first few minutes following takeoff but as we powered through 10000 feet the Captain throttled back the engines a bit and the cabin’s aural ambience became much nicer. I reclined my seat a bit, kicked up my feet and reached for my copy of the beverage menu. Hmm…
American’s Wine List
BEVERAGES
Spirits
Bacardi Rum
Bombay Sapphire Gin
Tito’s Handmade Vodka
Whiskeys
Canadian Club Blended Whisky
Dewar’s White Label Scotch Whisky
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey
Brandy and Liqueurs
Bailey’s Irish Cream
DiSaronno Amaretto
Courvoisier V.S.O.P. Fine Champagne Cognac
Beers
Budweiser, Bud Light, Samuel Adams, Dos Equis, Amstel Light and Heineken
WINE LIST
Champagne
Gosset Grande Reserve
White Wine
Mugo Blanco
Château du Seuil Graves White
Red Wine
Killka Red Blend
Temporada 2011 Malbec
Dessert Wine
Quinta do Crasto LBV Port, Douro
The flight attendant working my side of the cabin was named Javier. With the light load up front we had time to chat a bit and he indicated that the two small flags on his uniform reflected his Colombian and Puerto Rican heritage. He’d logged a lot of hours serving American’s South America bound clientele and it was clear to see that he enjoyed his work immensely. Throughout the flight he provided a courteous and professional service in a quiet and understated style that would have made any airline proud. Great job, Javier!
We were 22 minutes into the flight when hot towels were presented. They were wonderfully hot and moist and yet surprisingly unscented. That’s alright. The heat and moisture were effectively refreshing and now I was ready for something to drink.
Although I was familiar with the Gosset name – the winery was established in 1584 and remains the oldest wine house in Champagne, France – I’d never drunk any of its champagnes. Now would be an excellent time for an introduction. Javier returned shortly with a crystal clear flute and, after presenting the bottle for my inspection, proceeded to pour me a glassful. A small ramekin of warmed mixed nuts accompanied the champagne.
Now then, on to the first sip… oh my, that’s quite nice! Full bodied and yet pleasantly flavorful; bubbly and yet not so effervescent as to distract from the flavor. I quite liked this champagne.
Now then, let’s have a look at that dinner menu…
American’s First Class Dinner Menu
DINNER
Dallas to Santiago
Starters
Stuffed Zucchini Trio
With herbed goat cheese, humus and tahini
Or
Lump Crab Salad
Accented with salmon caviar
Soup
Creamy Kale
Served with Parmesan croutons
Salad
Seasonal Greens with Hearts of Palm and Sweet & Spicy Pecans
Offered with premium extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar
MAIN COURSES
Grilled Beef Filet
Accented with thyme jus, blue cheese potato gratin. sautéed spinach and mushrooms
Teriyaki Glazed Chicken
With wasabi mashed potatoes and sautéed mixed vegetables
Pistachio Crusted Tilapia
Presented with saffron basmati rice and vegetable medley
Cold Plate Sampler
Herbed roast beef, potato salad and deviled eggs
DESSERT
Traditional Ice Cream Sundae
Vanilla ice cream with your choice of hot fudge, butterscotch or seasonal berry toppings with whipped cream and pecans
Gourmet Cheese Plate
Smoked Gouda, Jalapeno Jack and Sage Derby
Warm Shortbread with Fresh Berries
Topped with fresh whipped cream
Cappuccino Mousse Cake
Hmm… I’ve never heard of lump crab but then I’ve never met a crab in either appetizer or entrée form that I didn’t like, so we’ll start with a plate of that please. Cream of Kale soup? You can actually make soup out of kale? Javier assured me that not only could one do so but that the soup was quite good, so I decided to go for a bowl of that as well. Salad? Of course! I love a good salad and by my experience American presents some of the best salads aloft. Now then, for the main course… If it were earlier in the day I might take a gander at the Grilled Beef Filet but this late at night red meat has a tendency to sit heavy in my stomach which – for me at least – is not conducive to a good night’s rest. I’m not a big teriyaki fan, but man, if that Pistachio Crusted Tilapia is anywhere near as delicious as it sounds, I think I’ll be very well sated indeed.
It didn’t take me long to finish off that glass of Gossett, and so while I awaited the appetizer I requested a small sampling of the Killka Red Blend. And yes, I’ll accompany the crab with another glass of the Gossett, please!
My table was soon set with plain white linen topped by a beige place setting topped with a bread plate, a butter dish, a salt and pepper set and a silverware set.
Flagship First Class table setting
The lump crab arrived shortly thereafter. Presented on an attractive square plate and accompanied by three slices of watermelon, it was lightly spiced but still quite tasty and would have gone down even better with the addition of some good crackers or a breadstick.
Lump Crab Appetizer
The soup arrived in a decently sized bowl and was accented with a sprinkling of flavorful croutons. The kale seemed to provide more color than flavor but overall I was pretty impressed. Indeed I wouldn’t mind another encounter with this soup on a future American fight.
Creamy Kale Soup
I’ve said it before but let me say it again – American Airlines serves some of the best First Class salads I’ve ever eaten aloft. Tonight’s version was exactly as advertised – an attractive selection of mixed greens accented with hearts of palm and deliciously crunchy sweet and spicy pecans. The zesty balsamic vinaigrette was the perfect dressing and by the time I’d polished off the last crunchy pecan I was well and truly appetized for the main course.
Another great American Salad
Would you believe this is the first time I can ever recall having been served Tilapia on an airplane? I’ve seen it on a lot of menus but for whatever reason I had always ordered something else. Well I’m sure glad I ordered it tonight because I strongly suspect that the plate I was served on this flight would’ve pleased even the most discerning earthbound gourmand – provided it was a blind tasting and they didn’t know they were eating airplane food. Honestly, the fish could hardly have been prepared any better. The meat was moist and tender, the crust deliciously crisp and the buttery sauce downright delectable. Well done, American!
Pistachio Crusted Tilapia
For dessert I requested the Warm Shortbread with Fresh Berries, but with a scoop of vanilla ice cream instead of whipped cream. Mmmm! Decadence incarnate!
Warm Shortbread with Fresh Berries
We were an hour and forty-five minutes into the flight when the last of my plates were cleared away. A look at the Sky Map indicated we were out over the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, speeding towards the Yucatan Peninsula and beyond.
American’s Sky Map
Having started the day in California where the clocks read two hours earlier, I wasn’t all that tired. Even so, I knew I needed some sleep because it wouldn’t come easy once I got to Santiago. As such I requested that Javier please set up my suite for sleeping while I headed to the forward lav to practice a bit of dental hygiene.
Bedtime on American’s 777
The cabin was dark when I returned to my suite, and given the light load I decided to take a chance and so removed my pants so I could sleep more comfortably in my underwear. I’m not a pajamas guy and I’ve been wearing boxers since I was but a wee lad. Besides, I doubt anyone would scream if they saw me as I could just as easily be a guy in a pair of shorts. Another glass of wine and a few pages from my book of the week soon had me tired enough to call it a night. I slept for about five hours before waking about 200 miles north of Santiago.
It was a bit late to serve me a full breakfast, but Javier was kind enough to bring me out a nicely presented tray bearing fruit, pastry, orange juice and coffee. It hit the spot perfectly, especially the pastry which was surprisingly good.
Breakfast Over South America
While enjoying my coffee and pastry, I couldn’t resist checking out the menu to have a peek at what I’d traded in that extra hour of sleep for:
BREAKFAST
Three Cheese and Poblano Pepper Omelette
Served with chicken apple sausage and roasted potatoes
Fresh Fruit Bowl
Served with granola and Greek yogurt
From The Bakery
A selection of warmed breakfast breads and pastries
Descent into Santiago
Meal trays were gathered, personal items were stowed away and announcements were made instructing us to return seatbacks to their full upright positions. The engines whined as minor course adjustments were made to line us up properly for Runway 17R. As we glided over the perimeter fence, the runway stripes zipped by beneath us and finally with a gentle bump we kissed terra firma and braked to taxi speed.
The eight hours and thirty-nine minutes required to deliver us 4,890 miles from Dallas to Santiago had passed by quickly and effortlessly, thanks in no small measure to the comfort of American’s Flagship Suite and the top flight service delivered by Javier and his crew.
American’s International First Class Flagship Service may not be considered amongst the world’s most elegant, but on this flight at least the crew and the product combined to make a long flight seem both pleasant and short. Well done, American!!