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A Tale of Five Stars in the Belly of the Devil
A Tale of Five Stars in the Belly of the Devil
Connecting in LAX with American Airlines Five Star Service Warning: This post is a diversion. It contains only one picture and does very little in the way of lounge or plane reporting. I write this as an ode to Judith. Context: Five Star is a service offered by American Airlines. For $125 US, it offers support in a variety of ways, one of which is by helping passengers with their connections at certain airports. I was wary of any offer that would provide assistance in a connection at Los Angeles International Airport. I have lived in LA, and I have travelled to, from, and through LAX via most of its terminals. Unlucky readers who have also been to LAX will know that it is the work of the devil. Decade upon decade, LAX has marched inexorably forward in its aspiration to become as challenging a place to visit as Heathrow herself. So when offered help in transiting LAX for only $125, I thought it would hinder rather than help my cause. In my view, transferring from domestic services to the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX could only be made worse at such a low price. Dear readers, I took the gamble on Five Star for you, and I'm happy to say that it was worth ten times in payout. Situation: I was in a very fragile state at the start of my journey from SFO to SYD. As luck would have it, San Francisco was bursting with good weather on the day before my flight. Brunch, park visits, and revelry ensued. My friends saw to it that I had a merry departure into the Pacific. Perhaps too merry. The next afternoon, the Palace hotel woke me at 1pm, and I realized there wasn't enough medicine in the city to shake my headache. I wearily made it to SFO by 2pm. SFO - LAX: I entered the new AA terminal at SFO, where I learned that an earlier flight would avoid potential fog disruptions later that afternoon. AA offered to help me revise my plans with Five Star, but I trusted no one -- I called them on my own (+ 1 877 578 2702 for those who need it). Five Star said that it would be a challenge to meet me earlier at LAX, but they would do it. I dashed through security, into the lounge for a liter of water, and onto the 3:05pm flight to LAX. T2 at SFO was oh-so LEED, the flight was fine, and we landed at LAX by 4:15 -- over 6 hours before my Qantas flight. Arrival at the Belly: I will call my Five Star service person Judith for anonymity, but she should be applauded for her work that evening. Judith, I do hope this message reaches you somehow. Upon disembarking, I found Judith standing on the jetway and a sign with my name on it. Judith whisked me away amidst the the First Class passengers who must have thought I was an unknown VIP. As we were walking, Judith asked me if there was anything I needed. I said "Judith, I am here for 6 hours, and all I want to do is sleep for 3 of them; beyond that, I don't care what happens." Across from my gate, we entered the AA First Class International Lounge, and four other women supported Judith at the moment of truth: how to take care of a hungover transit passenger in the Belly of the Devil? After a 5 minute conference with these AA and Qantas experts, Judith recommended that I stay put in Terminal 4 and bed down there. She thought a hotel would take too long, and that the Tom Bradley terminal would be an unwise choice. Armed with a pillow and blanket from the attendant, I was directed by Judith to the "near 180-degree seats" at the end of the room. It was 4:30, and I prepared myself with a wake-up call at 8pm. Here is what I saw as I went to sleep: http://lh4.ggpht.com/-7eokk2Am1BE/T0...4_%2525206.jpg Transiting to the Inner Layer of Hell: On the other side of a very helpful and fast-acting sleep aid, I woke at 7:30pm, showered, and presented myself to Judith earlier than anticipated. Espresso consumed, I was ready for my night with Qantas. And Judith was also ready, springing into action as I approached the front of the lounge. She took me to the Terminal 4 shuttle bus station, and we pre-boarded a coach bound for Tom Bradley. Judith was apparently a well-known celebrity throughout T4. As I knew it eventually would, the Devil appeared in front of us: Tom Bradley International Terminal. Even Judith was at a loss for words as we both looked quietly out the window and saw it approaching. I clutched my bag a bit tighter as we headed inside. Never fear, Judith knew what to do, and we were in the OneWorld First Class lounge in no time. She settled me in there, where I proceeded to drink 3 liters of water and the tomato bisque soup. No lounge alcohol could have prevented me from experiencing the Taittinger waiting for me aboard QF 12. At 9:40, the lounge attendant called QF12, but Judith was no where to be seen. I didn't quite know what to do, but I decided I could make it on my own. To gate 101 I headed. Judith's Finale Suddenly, my cell phone rings, and it is Judith worried about my well-being in the bowels of TBIT. She had arrived at the OneWorld Lounge, and was shocked to see I had gone missing. She sternly told me not to move, and so I stood there about three quarters of a mile away from my gate. After a few minutes, I realized that Judith had misunderstood my precise coordinates -- she must have teleported herself through TBIT via alternative celebrity channels. She called me at 9:45: "where have you gone, I am now at Gate 101, but didn't see you en route?" I told Judith not to worry, and I headed through the corridor to where she and my A380 were waiting. At the end of my third people-mover, I saw that the devil himself had been to Gate 101 -- the hoards had descended. Once again, there she was... Running toward me, Judith calls out "quick, come with me!" We bound through the lineup amidst the befuddled glances of First, Business, Premium Economy, and Economy passengers. Judith earned her keep that evening as the gate agent ushered us along to the door of QF 12. There we were, at the end of that long HSBC-branded air-bridge, where my Qantas pursor stood waiting for me. I was barely able to keep myself from giving Judith a hug and a kiss goodbye, as I felt so rejuvenated and prepared for what awaited me. It was only then, at 10:05pm, that I fully understood what she had done for me that evening. With a deep breath, inspired by a popping cork somewhere behind the pursor, I stepped past the threshold and into sanctuary... |
Qantas 12 First Class
Just checking, does anyone want the report on Qantas 380 LAX-SYD in F? Not sure I'm hearing that my readers are interested. I'll need to see some LUV or I'm going to stop exerting energies here!
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Please keep it up.
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Ok I will deliver something amazing In the next 48 hours.
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LAX to SYD in Qantas First
Trip Report, LAX - SYD, QF 12
As some of you know, I had a surprisingly nice transit experience in LAX. I won't cover that ground once again, but will instead focus on the experience in Qantas F aboard their A380. Lay of the Land: As can be found on any seat map, QF has 15 seats in F on the 380. On my flight, all 15 seats were filled. However, an important note is that I really was unaware of any of the other people throughout the flight. It was only on the occasional trip to the lav that I would notice the cabin was not empty. For a cabin of 15, there are two lavs up the front, under the staircase leading to business class. The lavs are nice, but nothing special. They have windows that go opaque when you lock the door, which is pretty cool. I couldn't count the number of FAs in the cabin, but suspect there were about 3 including the person in the galley during "peak" flight hours. My personal FA was always tending to me (let's call her Rita), as it seemed she only took a few hour break for the 15 hour flight. A Warm Welcome: Rita welcomed me very casually, and asked a few questions just to get a sense for the experience I was looking for (sleep, fun, etc.). When she realized I was there to really enjoy it, she took me to the cockpit where I chatted with the captain and crew for a few minutes. They were all *super* friendly, and even had me sit down in one of the chairs for a photo op. What an experience to hold the joystick of the largest passenger plane on the planet! Rita next told me that, while she appreciated my "Aviator" t-shirt, it was time to "frock it up with some Qantas." She presented me with a beautiful pajama set. I will say, I hate airplane pajamas -- either they are flimsy like LH F, or too heavy like VA J. These were just right. Also, Qantas kept the cabin nice and cold in order to make sure the pajamas didn't make us feel too warm. (Note, I don't think I saw anything but males in the cabin -- a longer conversation -- and males do typically like it cooler than females in my experience.) I was also offered a welcome drink, although the pursor did tell me that this would not be the Taittinger served in the sky. I knew that to be the case, but I thought it was classy enough for him to highlight that before pouring. With my half-glass of champagne, and more water than I knew what to do with (Rita was watching that closely), Rita also gave me a small canape plate. The canapes were delicious: cumin seed lavosh with smoked white bean puree and ligurian olives. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-s...2525209_14.jpg Finally, let me introduce the sheer space of the First Suite, which is just gorgeous: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-T...2525209_14.jpg https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-s...2525209_14.jpg Liftoff and Supper: Happily, we were off to a smooth start without any delays, and spent only the usual 15 minutes trying to find the runway at LAX. Liftoff on the A380 was special, in that they allow you to keep your massive video monitor open and you can tune into the real-time view from the tail of the aircraft: https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-o...2525209_14.jpg Once we were at about 10,000 feet, they quickly turned off the seatbelt sign (and I don't remember it going back on until about 20 minutes outside of Sydney). I can't say what a pleasure that is as a comparison to American carriers. Supper was extraordinary, and it really wasn't meant to be. It's actually not a large menu for the late night flight. Bandwidth restrictions stop me from posting the menu here, but I will do in a separate post. I asked Rita if I could have both entrees, and so she said we'll do a bit of a tasting menu to make sure I have all the goodies. She then set the table, which was the size of most Manhattan dining room tables. We started with the best soup I've ever had in the air: cream of cauliflower soup with croutons. Words cannot describe. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-F...2525209_15.jpg Next up was the seared spiced tuna with baby leaf salad and sashimi dressing. What was incredible about this dish (apart from its size!) was the spicy edge they gave it. Taking a bold move like adding spice at 35K feet is something I'd love to see more of on air carriers. Sure, it can happen with the Asian airlines, but it's rare beyond that circle. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8...2525209_15.jpg My main was a crumbed free range pork cutlet with sauteed potatoes, braised red cabbage and ailoi. Now, normally the main is just a pale comparison to the entrees, but not on QF F apparently. What arrived was a redesigned schnitzel with a complexity of flavors that only the Australians seem to be able to give to a standard-fare European dish. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-q...2525209_15.jpg Now at this point, I had just finished Mary Marcy May Marlene, while pairing my courses with the vintage 1999 Taittinger (to DIE for), the Sauv Blanc, and then the Shiraz. All were excellent. I shifted into watching Iron Lady, which was great fun I must say (Meryl, I love you, and you more than deserved that third oscar yesterday!!!). At some point during Iron Lady, Rita returned as promised with a beautiful cheese plate for me to enjoy in my bed (which had been turned down between movies). She also returned with three desert wines to taste, each with its own glass already poured in the galley. I was just enjoying everything so much that I couldn't (sorry!) be bothered to do much in the way of photo-shooting... This was my time:) For a flight that was 14 hours, I believe I slept 6 or so of those hours. It wasn't because I couldn't sleep more, but more because there was too much going on -- chats with the purser, visits and photos upstairs and around, and a special handwishing at the galley. It's a lot to cover, so I'll just share with you a few pictures of the marvel that is Qantas' A380: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-R...2525209_15.jpg http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Q6zC09syf0w/T0...2525209_15.jpg http://lh6.ggpht.com/-hZjT4wahMmU/T0...2525209_16.jpg In the morning, I told Rita that I wasn't a huge fan of breakfast. She said that the signature steak sandwich with tomato and chili relish was the right choice, and it fit the bill perfectly. I knew I'd be having plenty of good "brekkies" in Sydney over the next few weeks, so there was just no reason to have an egg dish on a plane in my view. Now right before we landed, Rita introduced me to the famous Taittinger hand wash. What's happening here is that they have extra Taittinger opened and have nothing to do but throw it out. So Rita brought me into the galley where she poured Taittinger and coarse sugar onto my hands, after which I exfoliated the flight away. http://lh3.ggpht.com/-NmU1ntc1shc/T0...2525209_18.jpg Finally, landing was near. If you look closely, you'll see the Sydney Harbor Bridge from my window as we landed. You'll also see the landing footage into SYD. Last, you'll see that somehow, someone who loves me made sure I brought home a bottle of Taittinger that morning... http://lh4.ggpht.com/-uZuIxqeyvho/T0...2525209_18.jpg http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KilqkE4vmFk/T0...2525209_18.jpg http://lh6.ggpht.com/-eoUAJOQAItY/T0...2525209_18.jpg Overall Comments: This is the best flight I've ever taken, and the only flaw I could find was that it was about 2 hours too long (I think I max out at about 12 hours). The service was perfect, the food better than I remember at Rockpool in Sydney, and the aesthetics of the cabin soothing beyond belief. Pardon me, Star Alliance, but SQ F and LH F have a lot to learn from what Qantas has created. With SQ and LH, you get branded champagne and a ton of caviar and lobster. With Qantas, you get an experience that's stunning, and you don't care so much that your wine was not produced in Bourdeaux. Readers, do grab a chance to fly this cabin now, as I can't quite imagine how our economy will be able to support such sophisticated, customized services for too much longer. |
Menu Photos for QF 12
Menu photos as promised for QF 12, LAX-SYD
Supper was extraordinary, and it really wasn't meant to be. It's actually not a large menu for the late night flight, as you'll see from these photos: http://lh5.ggpht.com/-1lGprAHi97Y/T0...2525209_16.jpg http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fV7q4hfaSDk/T0...2525209_16.jpg http://lh3.ggpht.com/-HPyNjxWhPxo/T0...2525209_16.jpg http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tvKIzCO2duc/T0...2525209_17.jpg http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Rhiuw4ud7f4/T0...2525209_17.jpg http://lh6.ggpht.com/-uh4ob7AkXH4/T0...2525209_18.jpg http://lh3.ggpht.com/-pyfzpzxw-k8/T0...2525209_18.jpg |
Very nice update and TR! Tattinger vintage is very nice - I had a glass when I was in QF F lounge in SYD last year (they had an opened bottle for a QF executive that day and a very nice waitress served us some!). My wife says it was the best Champagne glass she'd had so far. She didn't like DOM nor Krug...
Now, QF F product seems very nice. I like it! I almost had an opportunity to fly it last year but had to give it up. However, I was able to enjoy QF F lounge, which I think, in terms of food offering, is one of the best (tad bit better than LH's FCT in FRA). Otherwise, I think LH is quite on par with QF in terms of cabin service. LX is certainly equivalent, if not better. I haven't been in SQ F since 2009 so I can't comment on their current offerings, but if I were given a choice between SQ 380 F suite and QF 380 F, I'd choose SQ F in a heart beat. |
Originally Posted by brahms77
(Post 18092864)
Very nice update and TR! Tattinger vintage is very nice - I had a glass when I was in QF F lounge in SYD last year (they had an opened bottle for a QF executive that day and a very nice waitress served us some!). My wife says it was the best Champagne glass she'd had so far. She didn't like DOM nor Krug...
Now, QF F product seems very nice. I like it! I almost had an opportunity to fly it last year but had to give it up. However, I was able to enjoy QF F lounge, which I think, in terms of food offering, is one of the best (tad bit better than LH's FCT in FRA). Otherwise, I think LH is quite on par with QF in terms of cabin service. LX is certainly equivalent, if not better. I haven't been in SQ F since 2009 so I can't comment on their current offerings, but if I were given a choice between SQ 380 F suite and QF 380 F, I'd choose SQ F in a heart beat. I think you're really asking the right question, which is whether SQ Suites is worth the premium to QF F. I think it depends. For me, the chemistry of the crew is very important, and the special surprises they can give me really increase my overall experience. However, if I were just trying to get from point A to Point B with a bit of glamour but mostly quiet sleep, then SQ Suites may make more sense. There was something to say, though, for the fact that QF didn't invest in closed Suite designs but rather created spaces that felt both OPEN and PRIVATE at the same time. It felt very natural to me. |
More please.
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Wow!! That flight looks amazing!
They treated you like the Queen of Sheba with that grab bag of Tattinger....and a trip to the cockpit!!!
Sounds like you are on the ground for a ouple of weeks in SYD but can't wait for the next part!! |
Originally Posted by IanPurdy
(Post 18094503)
They treated you like the Queen of Sheba with that grab bag of Tattinger....and a trip to the cockpit!!!
Sounds like you are on the ground for a ouple of weeks in SYD but can't wait for the next part!! Yes, next up will be LAN's J service from SYD to AKL. I'm afraid we do have a few more weeks until we get to talk more about long-haul, with my other QF F segment. However, that should include a tasting menu, so may be a worthy closure to the South Pacific portion! |
Originally Posted by BostonFlyer1624
(Post 18094008)
More please.
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This sounds as though it is going to be a great TR, so much looking forward to it. THe A380 is amazing, would love to do the LAX - SYD way only normally do the LHR-SYD on this great bird. We love it, space, food and service is phenominal. ^
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So glad you had an amazing flight from LAX-SYD, and so lucky to be able to go into the flight deck, no such luck from the LHR end, was looking in when we flew out in Jan, but very politely the door was shut so could not get a good view. Yes, i enjoyed the Iron Lady, Meryl is a great actress, sad film though. The food looked good, if you are doing the menu tasting which i think you said you are you will enjoy that, it is great, took us 3 hours to get through it. Enjoy your time in SYD and hope the weather is not too bad. Look forward to the next stage of your RTW.^
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Originally Posted by flyer.ben.1
(Post 18094984)
Anything you're after in particular? It appears that Sydney will have 3 nonstop days of rain, so I will be stuck inside for a bit!
One thing I'd like to see is what the lie flat position of the seat looks like going forward and maybe a few more cabin shots in F...just to get a better sense of the atmosphere. :) Keep it up. Cheers. |
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