BrewerSEA

Dallas/Fort Worth to London Heathrow – Sunday June 12, 2011
AA 78
19:50-10:45(+1) (8:55)
Boeing 777-200ER
Seat 1J
First Class

Upon arrival at DFW I decided to go landside for a quick smoke. The 100 degree heat was a bit much for me at first, but I decided to stick it out as I was about to spend the next two weeks in hotter places and really couldn’t afford to give up that quickly. After a bit of outdoors wandering, as fascinating as the concrete façade of DFW is, I decided to make my way to the Admirals Club, which is located near gate D23. Again there was a pretty bad security line, but PriorityAAccess made it only about a five minute process. I was pointed toward the millimeter wave scanner but someone was already in it so I just snuck through the WTMD as I really didn’t feel like enduring a second “enhanced patdown” in one day.

This Admirals Club has a very nice entrance where you immediately take elevators up before being checked for credentials. The two other gentlemen in the elevator with me were discussing flight cancellations on South America routes due to the ash cloud from Puyehue-Cordón Caulle. Throughout my time in the lounge I heard people dealing with the cancellations in Spanish over the phone. I approached the AAngels and handed my boarding pass and passport over. I was given a wifi card (this is relatively new for international premium passengers, it used to only be for day pass purchasers. AC members can logon with their card numbers) and a drink chit. There is no Flagship lounge in DFW, even though there are Flagship lounges in NRT, LAX, ORD, JFK, MIA and JFK. It isn’t too difficult to understand considering AA doesn’t have much competition at DFW. I headed to find a seat, which was less than easy as the lounge was fairly crowded. Thankfully AA puts a pair of power outlets between pretty much every seat, so when I finally sat down I was not left running down my battery. I opened my laptop and begun the process of creating a virtual encrypted disk. I had downloaded the entire James Bond film collection as well as a number of other slightly risqué movies that I knew Saudi Customs would not appreciate if they were to find them. They periodically check computers for immoral content. Fortunately I was not selected the next day, as upon arrival I realized I had a number of episodes of Alias on my iPad and I don’t think the mutaween would have appreciated the beautiful Jennifer Garner. This process was easy, but relatively slow. I used the program TrueCrypt, which I highly recommend.

I availed myself of the smoking lounge (and felt like an idiot for going landside earlier) and left 10 minute before boarding was scheduled to begin. When I arrived at the gate less than 5 minutes later they were already calling Group 3. The line was long, but I used the PriorityAAccess lane on the lefthand side. Unlike on some carriers the priority lane ends at the door to the jetway, but the line onto the plane never stopped moving. I was directed to turn left and planted myself into 1J, the first seat on the right side of the 1-2-1 16 seat cabin. The cabin was not yet full, but I knew the plane would end up completely full as I saw all classes zeroed out on Expert Flyer a few days beforehand with F1J2R2 showing about a week before that. I was offered a PDB of water, orange juice or champagne, and opted for the bubbly. This would be the first glass of champagne of the trip, but I would only drink probably a bottle and a half over the next 24 hours. It was served in a small plastic champagne flute, the same they use for PDB on domestic flights, which in my opinion is really tacky and not appropriate in F. They collect them anyway and plenty of other carriers can manage a glass actually made of glass before takeoff… On my seat were a pillow and blanket. The blanket AA uses in F is okay, but it is the same that it uses in J, and to be honest, I really think they should try a bit harder to differentiate the two products. On the side table there were a pair of Bose QC15 headphones, which I loved, and a U.K. landing card in a pink FastTrack envelope, which I saved considering I was in transit. I’ll end up with 3 of these after this journey is over considering I’ll only enter the U.K. once! Maybe I’ll do a mileage run in Y that requires their use.


Headphones, immigration card, fast track card and menu

There was also a menu:

F Menu AA78 DFW-LHR June 12, 2011
*My selections

Drinks:
*Pommery Brut Champagne, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier Grapes
Folie à Deux, Chardonnay Grapes
*Groom Lenswood Saugivnon Blanc 2008
Château Villa Bel-Air , Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc Grapes, 2004
Cyan Prestigio, Tinta de Toro Grapes, 2005
Emilio Lustau Sherry, Palomino Fino Grapes
*Graham’s Vintage Port, Touriga Nacional Grapes, 2004
Inniskillin Vidal Icewine, Vidal Grapes, 2006

To Start:
Warm mixed nuts
or
Crudités and dip

Appetizer
Smoked salmon and citrus marinated shrimp accompanied by capers, red onion and sour cream

The Salad Cart
Fresh seasonal greens with julienned zucchini, yellow bell peppers, button mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, offered with classic Caesar dressing or extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Peppered roasted chicken breast

Bread Basket
Assorted gourmet breads

Main Course

Mango Chili Beef
Grilled Fillet of Beef featured with a mango chile demi-glace, blue cheese potatoes and glazed carrots

Seared Balsamic Chicken
Savory chicken breast with a balsamic white chocolate sauce, offered with tomatoes, grilled asparagus and pumpkin raspberry rissole

*Red Snapper with Ají Cream Corn Sauce
Sautéed red snapper topped with an ají cream corn sauce, served with crab ceviche and black bean refrito
A signature Stephan Pyles item

Cheese Ravioli
Semolina pasta filled with four cheeses, offered with a mushroom, offered with a mushroom tomato cream sauce, sautéed shallots and sliced mushrooms

Dine Upon Request®
You may choose one of the featured entrees to be served with an appetizer and dessert, presented all at once, at any time you wish.

Dessert
*Ice Cream Sundae
Vanilla ice cream with a choice of hot fudge, butterscotch or seasonal berry toppings, whipped cream and pecans.

Fruit and Cheese
A selection of gourmet cheeses offered with fresh seasonal fruit and assorted crackers

Breakfast
Select From

*Cheese Omelet
Served with filet mignon and O’Brien potatoes

Yogurt
Creamy fruit yogurt

Cereal
Kellogg’s cereal with milk

All options are offered with fresh seasonal fruit and chilled orange juice

Breakfast Breads
A selection of breakfast breads

Express Breakfast™
Served 45 minutes prior to landing to allow you to sleep as long as possible.
Warm breakfast breads, season fruit and your choice of beverage

Pre-Arrival Beverage
For Your Enjoyment
*Chilled sparkling or still water with a fresh citrus garnish

Beverages
Spirits
ABSOLUT® Vodka
*Beefeater Dry Gin
Bacardi Rum

Whiskeys
Canadian Club Reserve Blended Whisky
Dewar’s White Label Scotch Whisky
Glenlivet Single Malt Scotch
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey
Jim Beam Black Bourbon

Beers
Amstel Light, Heineken and select U.S. beers

Additional beers may be available on select international flights

Brandy and Liqueurs
Baileys Irish Cream
Courvoisier V.S.O.P Fine Champagne Cognac
DiSaronno Amaretto
Kahlúa

Other Beverages
Carbonated beverages
Still and sparkling water
*Java City 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified™ coffee
Nescafė decaffeinated coffee
Tea
Fruit Juices
Milk
Beverages are available continuously throughout the flight

When you first get on the plane, the seat is facing directly forward, which restricts legroom a great deal. After takeoff you can swivel the seat at a slight angle toward the outside of the plane, which lines your legs up with the ottoman, which has a separate seatbelt on it so that you can dine with a partner at your seat. The seat has a third locking position facing directly out the window, but this is fairly cramped and I believe is really only a product of the fact that the identical center seats in the center are designed so that couples can eat facing each other without using the ottoman. I found the seat quite comfortable, and it goes fully flat. It is 6’5” long, so was just about the perfect size for my 6’1” frame. I tried out the seat in every position to ensure it worked. I have often read that is a good idea to test out the seat soon after boarding as if there is a problem they can bring a mechanic on board to attempt to fix it and if that is unsuccessful switch you with any NRSAs that may be on board. Wanda, the purser, then brought over an amenity kit.


Amenity kit (I'm wearing the socks)

She then took my dinner order and I chose the Red Snapper with Ají Cream Corn Sauce as it was listed as a Stephen Pyles Signature Item and sounded pretty good anyway. I was asked if I wanted to be woken for breakfast, replied in the affirmative, and ordered the Cheese Omelet.

We pushed back one minute early. It’s always disconcerting for me when I take off in a 777 and it feels as if it is descending again only a few moments after takeoff. I quickly put my seat into a Z-shape, wrapped myself in the comforter and turned on my iPhone to listen to some music. 40 minutes into the flight, which didn’t feel very long at all (surprisingly), I was asked what I wanted to drink. I ordered a gin and tonic and it came with both the warm mixed nuts and crudités with dip, despite the fact that the menu separated the two options with an “or.” I love that AA serves warm nuts in a ramekin in F on every non MQ flight (due to MQ’s CRJs not having an oven). Most Asian carriers don’t even manage this in F. The use of the word crudités makes vegetable sticks sound much fancier, though they were of course perfectly fine and seemed fresh.


Gin and tonic, crudités and warm mixed nuts

Half an hour later the appetizer was served, smoked salmon and citrus marinated shrimp accompanied by capers, red onion and sour cream. It was also served with Melba toast, which to me evoked a “we are trying to mimic caviar service and failing” vibe. Nevertheless it was extremely tasty, especially the smoked salmon, a food I always enjoy. It was brought with a glass of Groom Lenswood Saugivnon Blanc 2008, which I had ordered before takeoff to complement my red snapper, but as if reading my mind, Wanda also offered a glass of the Pommery Brut Champagne before I could ask for it. Both were better than average, but neither really stood out as great, even in comparison to my relatively limited experience with quality wine and champagne.


Smoked salmon and citrus marinated shrimp accompanied by capers, red onion and sour cream

While eating I watched the movie The Mechanic, a remake of the 1972 Charles Bronson film of the same name, on the AVOD. It was one of the few movies that appealed to me that I had also not already seen. I zoned out and enjoyed the violence combined with the seemingly contradictory gruff and mellifluous voice of Jason Statham. It could have been any of the dozen or so identical films he’s made in the past decade. Fifteen minutes after being served the appetizer, the salad trolley was brought out. I just asked Tammy, the other F FA with whom I had the most interaction, to put everything on the salad, but chose the extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the Caesar dressing. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only person who doesn’t like generic Caesar salad. I will eat it in nice restaurants and at home, but bottled Caesar dressing is pretty much the worst.


Green salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing

Twenty minutes after the appetizer, a third FA served my entrée, the sautéed red snapper topped with an ají cream corn sauce, served with crab ceviche and black bean refrito. From the first bite I knew I had made a good decision in choosing the “signature” dish. While the food looked pretty mediocre on my plate, especially compared to the plating of first meals on other carriers, it was delicious. The cool tartness of the ceviche tempered the spice of the snapper perfectly. Again I found the use of the Spanish refrito, which simply means refried, a bit snooty. They certainly didn’t taste like any refried beans I’d ever had, and in fact, appeared and tasted identical to black beans out of a can that had been heated up. Is that “refrying” them, AA?


Sautéed red snapper topped with an ají cream corn sauce, served with crab ceviche and black bean refrito

About half an hour later a third FA, whose name I did not catch, came by with a dessert cart offering made-to-order ice creams sundaes and cheese plates. I didn’t want a cheese plate, but ordered a sundae with strawberry sauce and pecans, though after tasting it I realized it was also a raspberry sauce. I asked for a considered ordering the ice wine, but decided it would be two sweet with the ice cream so ordered a glass of the 2004 Graham’s Vintage Port. While many carriers make elaborate dishes for dessert, I applaud AA for keeping it simple. Ice cream sundaes that are just beginning to melt are hard to beat if presented well.


Ice cream sundae with strawberry/raspberry sauce, topped with pecans

After finishing my dessert and movie I put the bed into fully flat mode. I found the seat very comfortable and slept for around three hours. When I awoke there was a bottle of water next to my head. I put the seat into a Z position and started a second movie, Unknown, starring Liam Neeson. This movie too lived up to my expectations, as a decent action/thriller with a fairly predictable twist midway through the film and a triumphant hero-who-gets-the-girl ending. Roughly ninety minutes before landing I was served breakfast by FA #3. I don’t regret not learning her name, as she was easily the worst of the three. The omelet served with filet mignon and O’Brien potatoes completed the AA’s good meal service on this flight. Not outstanding by any means, but solid and tasty. The filet mignon was cooked medium rare, and considering I order steak rare in restaurants I was very pleased to be served something that wasn’t leather for once. I was not pleased with my steak in BA J the coming evening. The omelet was served with strawberries, kiwis, cantaloupe and some tropical fruit I couldn’t place (lower lefthand corner of the image). I was offered bagels and croissants and took a bagel with cream cheese. I was not offered a drink.


Omelet served with filet mignon and O'Brien potatoes, fresh fruit, bagel with cream cheese

About ten minutes later I had finished most of the food on my tray, and FA #3 tried to pick it up. My bagel sat untouched in the corner and I told her that I wasn’t done. She looked offended and said, “oh, well, sorry.” I was taken aback, but said it was fine and asked for a glass of orange juice. She sighed and said “let me clear the rest of the trays first.” Her service was so surprising in contrast to Wanda and Tammy’s. I wish I had not left my AAplause certs at home or I would have given them to Wanda and Tammy just to make a point of commenting on her service. I watched some TV and 45 minutes before arrival I was offered sparkling water with lemon as my headphones were collected. Though I think AA collects these headphones too early, it is a nice gesture that they also include the earbuds given out in domestic F so that if you don’t have your own headphones you can still enjoy the IFE for the rest of the flight.


Sparkling water with lemon garnish

We had a smooth landing and after a nine minute taxi arrived at the gate eleven minutes late. I had intended to take pictures of the seat after landing, but unfortunately my camera battery died after taking a picture of the sparkling water. The idiot that I am left the charger in my checked bag, so no more pictures until I get to Riyadh

Transit was fairly easy with fast track lanes available at every line, though I missed one for a moment in T5 as the woman policing the fast track lane was so vague that I first walked down the regular line after asking about fast track. I soon saw businessmen passing me in the outer lane, so walked back and asked again pointing at the outer line. In a strong west-Indian (that’s how you Brits refer to people from the Caribbean, right?) accent she said “I was wonderin’ why you went down dat lane.” I was in Jamaica a little over the month ago and, no sarcasm implied, the relaxed attitude was a nice reminder of that vacation.

Coming soon, T5 Galleries First, BA LHR-RUH and dealing with Saudi immigration

`X'

Mystery tropical fruit looks like Papaya (or Paw Paw however you wanna say it) but its a bit hard to tell from the dark photo (nothing against your photo).

BrewerSEA

I thought that before I tasted it too, but a papaya it was not. It's certainly difficult to see anything in the photo, an inherent difficulty of photographing in a dark cabin with all the window shades drawn.

BryanIAH

Great start and an awesome itinerary! I hope that the planning part wasn't too difficult or time consuming. Looking forward to the rest...young flyers unite!!!

`X'

That is the only thing that it could be from that colour though. maybe it some sort of new hybird papaya grown for AA they have screwed with to taste like something random haha

Genius1

Great start to this trip report - your writing style is very good, and nice pics to match.

I must admit I think AA's international F product is pretty bad. There is very little differentiation between J and F, and the presentation of the catering is quite bad. Serving pre-flight drinks in plastic glasses is ridiculous, as is having only one dessert option - and for that option to be ice cream.

I'm looking forward to reading about the following segments, particularly CX F - CX are simply in another league to most other carriers. ^

mapleg

Great report...very enjoyable read....but I have to say that cream corn sauce is giving me nightmares!

Henryyilupe

Hey, you're the one who's always answering my questions in the AA forum Thanks for taking the time to help even on such an exciting journey!

So around what total cost will your trip land at? Including the AONE5, positioning flights, hotels, expenses, everything.

Also, how'd you get to be so well-traveled and such an expert flyer at 19?

BrewerSEA

I agree. The only significant difference between the two products is that AA F gives you a large lie-flat seat, compared to their mediocre J seat. I believe all the U.S. carriers serve PDB in plastic cups, even in UA F. I don't know if there is a good reason behind this or not. I do think having another dessert option is a good idea, but made-to-order ice cream sundaes are fantastic, if not fancy.

My total budget is about $22k. $16k of that is flights. I decided to splurge on the flights and am writing from a $5 per night hostel in Cairo right now. It's surprisingly nice, with air conditioning, private (non-squat) toilet and shower in my 4 person dorm room. There's a reason that most of my time is spent in the third world on this trip

I learned about the AA FF program simply by exhaustive reading of FT as well as by doing a lot of research before booking my AONE5.

`X'

that sounds like a bargain of a trip compared to my *A RTW in J. Flights alone were almost as much as yours and your going in First class

BrewerSEA

London Heathrow to Riyadh – Monday June 13, 2011
BA 263
21:50 – 6:00(+1) (6:10)
Boeing 777-200ER
Business Class

After clearing security in T5 I made my way to the BA lounges. I first walked to the Galleries North lounge, and after seeing no sign of a First lounge asked and was directed to the opposite end of the Terminal, to the South Lounges. As I approached the entrance to Galleries First, I looked to my right and saw the fabled Concorde Room. I will not get the opportunity to check that out until the final segment of my AONE5 in September. I’m not sure what the non-derogatory term is for BA Lounge Dragons, but the polite lounge credential checker looked at my BP and said she would be happy to accommodate me upstairs (in the club lounge). I politely responded that I had access to the First Lounge because I was connecting from a longhaul flight in AA first. She looked confused and pulled out a giant folder with pictures of the elite cards from each OW program and turned to her colleague. He took one look at my AA BP and said, “of course he has access.” ^ My AA BP would not scan into her system, which wasn’t surprising as it was dated a day previously, so she had to put a note in the system tied to my J BP that I was allowed access. I was surprised she didn’t know what to do, considering they must get plenty of people connecting from longhaul F to intra-Europe J. Perhaps on a BA to BA connection the system recognizes the previous F flight. Or maybe the system strictly interprets the official OW lounge access rules, that only state access is based on connecting longhaul for domestic and intra-Europe flights. One thing to note is that BA’s lounge access policy states:
I made my way into the lounge and began looking for a seat with a power outlet. Though there were many outlets, the lounge was so crowded that finding a seat next to one proved impossible. I placed my bags next to an oversized leather armchair and walked to the Gold Bar to pour myself a glass of wine. I was far too tired to really care what it was, but took a quick glance at the offerings and chose the 2007 Bouchard Père Et Fils Meursault Les Clous. It was excellent, and I would pour myself a second glass an hour later. I was taking it slow at this point considering it was not yet noon. Not more than an hour later the man sitting across from me left and I nearly jumped into his seat in order to get the power outlet next to his armchair. I was one of probably three people vying for that seat so earned a few dirty looks. They should have been quicker… A bit later a lounge attendant approached me asking if I had ordered a bacon roll. I had not and the man behind her quickly called her over, but as she walked past I asked for one as well. I felt I needed to eat as much bacon as possible before leaving for the Middle East. Less than five minutes later she delivered two (for the uninitiated, it’s basically bacon on a baguette)rolls which I quickly consumed. The rest of the food I enjoyed over the next few hours was forgettable and bland. I did enjoy a couple of glasses of Cattier Clos du Moulin Champagne from the Champagne Bar, however.

Around 16:00 I decided to take a shower at the Elemis Travel Spa. After showing my boarding pass, I was directed to shower 2. I like the layout of the shower rooms, which included a toilet, but the sign warning against leaving personal items on the floor due to it being a “wet room” was unwarranted. The shower has multiple pairs of horizontal bodyspray jets at different levels, a handshower, and a rainshower (I needed to research shower adspeak to write that sentence). Such systems cost around $1000, but if I owned a home I’d install one in a heartbeat. I did not use any of the provided toiletries as I had brought my own <100ml products. After getting dressed I stopped by the Elemis Travel Spa counter to book an appointment. I was accommodated at 7:20 and chose the Pure Skin Clean Facial. After filling out some release forms I was taken to a semi-enclosed space with a large massage chair. My masseuse leaned the chair flat and began by rubbing eucalyptus oil on her hands and holding them near my nose. She then began the facial, which was quite comparable to sub-$50 facials I’ve had in the past. The massage chair ran throughout the treatment. I particularly enjoyed the many colors of the changing LED lights above the chair, which, with my eyes closed, made the experience even more relaxing. Fifteen minutes felt like a reasonable length for a free treatment, and when it was done I was offered a glass of water and asked to fill out a comment card. I look forward to taking advantage of this free service again the next handful of times I am in LHR.

At about 21:10 I left the lounge. It was a bit of a walk to my gate, including the escalator down to T5B. I was probably about 50m away from the gate at about 21:20 when they announced Gate Closing for BA 263 to Riyadh. I rolled my eyes and kept walking at a gentle pace while many people sprinted past me. I arrived at the gate and used the fast track lane to pass the sprinters, took the elevator down to the jetway, and entered the aircraft. I was asked for my BP and said 10K. The FA insisted to see my BP, which I understand, but still annoyed me at that time considering how exhausted I was. I was offered a PDB and asked for champagne, which was served in a small wine glass, similar to those used in AA domestic F. The male FA also offered me a newspaper. I asked if he had any American papers and he said he did not so I told him to bring me whatever, as I’m really not familiar with British papers. He returned a moment later having found an international edition of the WSJ, which I flipped through for a few minutes before takeoff. He then offered an amenity kit, which was quite basic, and a Saudi landing card. The landing card said in big red letters, “Death to Drug Smugglers.” I certainly was not going to be bringing any illicit drugs into Saudi Arabia.

I’m going to skip the meal/menu for now, as the menu is buried in my bag in my shared room. I’ll post it tomorrow.

The IFE was turned on soon after takeoff, and I decided to watch some TV before my meal came. The animated film Yogi Bear started to play (with Arabic subtitles) and my remote was nonresponsive. Even odder, the audio from a different film started to play. It took me a minute to identify, but I soon realized it was from the film Unknown, which I had watched on my AA flight the day before. The FA restarted the system after the meal was served at my request, and everything functioned fine after that. Unfortunately, the IFE was a looped system, so after watching an episode of The Big Bang Theory while eating my meal, I turned it off to go to sleep. It’s quite sad to see this considering how nice the IFE system appears before turning it on, with a large flip out, glare resistant screen. BA’s CW bed is pretty good, especially when compared to AA’s J offering. It goes fully flat with a footrest folding out from the back of the seat/suite in front of you to complete the length. I am 6’1” and found the length a bit short, though I was reasonably comfortable by putting my feet between the seat/suite in front of me and the sidewall. I slept for about four hours before being woken for breakfast.

After a smooth landing, I got up and watched the women around the cabin begin to change. Many beautiful woman, Arab and not, covered up expensive, fashionable clothing with plain black abayas. The Arab women tended to wear a niqab, covering all the face but the eyes, while the Asian women tended to leave their faces uncovered. The Western women looked almost comical, as they appeared to be wearing judicial robes, with faces and hair uncovered. We walked to immigration where there were a number of lines. The far right one was for Saudi and GCC nationals, the second for “visiting businessmen,” and the third and onward for “visas.” FT member dunk, who I met up with later that day, gave me a number of great tips, including that I should use the business immigration lane. The process was almost comically slow. The immigration officials sat in their booths doing nothing for minutes at a time, presumably while the documents were checked in some back room or computer center. One English man in the visas line was so upset that he yelled at the officials on and off for about an hour until finally being allowed to use the Saudi lane. Though there were only about fifteen people in front of me in line, I waited for 90 minutes to be called up to an agent, which considering about 2/3 through my line they opened a second window for us, was shocking. After asking me a few questions, I was asked to sit down for a few minutes. An English man and I commiserated about the lunacy of needing to wait for some back-office approval considering we had both already been issued visas. Arriving at the baggage hall nearly two hours after landing, I was accosted by porter who asked “London” and took me to the pile where my bag was placed. The priority tag was intact, though I have no idea of its efficacy considering the glacial pace of Saudi immigration. He pulled me out to a taxi and I pulled out a 5 riyal note, which is about $1.30. I thought this reasonable considering he took my bag about 40 feet. He said, “no, 10 riyal.” I was too tired to argue.

I was put in a cab, which of course wouldn’t start, and waited for the police to get out some jumper cables. Finally I was on my way to the hotel. The driver said “100 riyal?” and in my stupor my haggling consisted of “70?” “No.” “80, final” “Okay.” We drove past Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University, which was the first woman’s University in Saudi Arabia. This brand new campus is gargantuan. While designed for fewer students than the University of Washington, which I attend, it was easily more than twice as big. The Saudis are quite fond of garish displays of wealth. We arrived at my hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn Olaya, and I was quite happy to step into my air-conditioned Western oasis. I had only booked a room for one night, which was a little silly considering my 6:00am arrival and 7:50pm departure the following day. I was checked in by Mohammed, who said my room was not ready yet, but that I should sit in the restaurant and enjoy breakfast. The spread was decent, with made-to-order omelets, extensive fruit and coldcut selections, a waffle bar, cereal etc. After only 30 minutes Mohammad returned to say that my room was ready and that I had been upgraded to a suite as a HHonors Gold member. This was a surprise, as the Gold On-Property Benefit for Hilton Garden Inns is supposed to only be a full-American breakfast. I was actually only upgraded to an Executive Room, but that was two rooms better than the Evolution Room I had booked. At checkout (which was at 4pm as I had requested) I was further surprised, to find that both breakfasts had been comped. Great service all around, and if I ever end up in Riyadh again I’m sure I’ll stay there.

That night I met dunk at my hotel and we cabbed to a Lebanese restaurant, where we had a great dinner and my first exposure to Middle Eastern food of the trip. We then walked around Kingdom Centre and took the elevators to the sky bridge at the top, which affords amazing views of Riyadh lit up at night. Afterward we had coffee back at my hotel where we continued to discuss Saudi Arabia, FT and the RTW he was planning. He gave me lots of great advice about what to do the next day. Saudi Arabia was shaping up to be a challenging, but not impossible, place to visit.


Kingdom Centre

potakas

Yes!! It seems disgusting


Nice report, just read about your arrival in Saudi. Very poor service at the immigration, I assume that if if someone is on the last Y row he/she should wait 4-5 hours

sadiqhassan

Great report!

As a recent graduate let me say that my travels are usually the first thing to come up in interviews as an opportunity to show what I have learned and what skills I have developed. I agree that pure travel and nothing else can be problematic but I traveled every summer and I don't think it hurt me. I also did short (6 or 8 week) internships during the summers after my freshman and junior years.

Travel K

Nice work! I am excited to see your updates as this goes. It should be one heck of a summer for you!!!

Henryyilupe

So when/how long will you be in PEK? I'm currently living there and would be happy to give you some pointers and advice for local attractions/food