It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year (AA/MQ F AS Y)
Dec 15, 2013, 12:47 pm
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: BTR/MSY
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LTP, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,258
Of course, I can never stop plane spotting. I was able to get some decent shots of a Delta 757-200 and a Emirates 777-200LR flying the base leg into Sea-Tac.
I was definitely excited to see the Concorde, and even more excited that I could go on board. Believe or not, I have never flown or even set foot on a British Airways plane until that day. I suppose I can now claim the first BA aircraft I’ve ever been on is the Concorde. The fact that it wasn’t airworthy at the time is just a minor detail.
It is definitely a beautiful and unique machine, but I really wasn’t impressed after I saw the interior. The seats looked very narrow and cramped and actually reminded me of those found on the Devil’s Chariot: the CRJ-200. It’s a good thing I didn’t post this on the British Airways forum, because I am sure I’d be banned for spewing such blasphemy. However, I’m sure that cruising at twice the speed of sound made up for some of the comfort shortcomings.
While the Concorde appeared to be in excellent shape, the same couldn’t be said for the very historic aircraft sitting right next to it. The City of Everett is the very first prototype 747; thus, it is literally the world’s first widebody aircraft. I was pretty shocked by the dilapidated condition of the aircraft. Paint was fading and or peeling, and covers were missing here and there. Given the importance of this very aircraft in Boeing’s history and its location right next door to Boeing Field, I’m surprised Boeing didn’t kick in a few bucks to restore and maintain the aircraft as a matter of pride.
Another exhibit in poor condition is the Boeing 727-200 wearing the now retro polished aluminum livery of American Airlines. Naturally, I Googled the registration number to see if this particular aircraft was historically significant. It didn’t, but the 727 program itself was another important chapter in Boeing’s history. The 727 was originally designed as medium capacity and range airliner to compliment the Boeing 707. It was Boeing’s bestselling aircraft, with nearly over 1,800 units produced until surpassed by the wildly successful 737. The 727 served US airlines well for several decades, but were retired due to high operating costs a few years after 9/11. My last 727 flight was on Delta’s SEA-DFW redeye back in August of 2001.
Another interesting exhibit was a modified Boeing 707, or VC-137 in USAF nomenclature. In keeping with the military tradition of acronyms and nicknames, this particular aircraft was dubbed SAM (Special Air Mission) 970. It was the first of three such aircraft purchased by the USAF for VIP transport.
SAM 970
Presidential Office
Communications Center…it looked like something from the Stone Age.
Cockpit
Another interesting exhibit is the Lockheed Super Constellation in Trans Canada Airlines’ colors. It is considered by many in aviation circles to be one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built. I tend to agree, especially given how similar even competing aircraft look these days.
I was definitely excited to see the Concorde, and even more excited that I could go on board. Believe or not, I have never flown or even set foot on a British Airways plane until that day. I suppose I can now claim the first BA aircraft I’ve ever been on is the Concorde. The fact that it wasn’t airworthy at the time is just a minor detail.
It is definitely a beautiful and unique machine, but I really wasn’t impressed after I saw the interior. The seats looked very narrow and cramped and actually reminded me of those found on the Devil’s Chariot: the CRJ-200. It’s a good thing I didn’t post this on the British Airways forum, because I am sure I’d be banned for spewing such blasphemy. However, I’m sure that cruising at twice the speed of sound made up for some of the comfort shortcomings. While the Concorde appeared to be in excellent shape, the same couldn’t be said for the very historic aircraft sitting right next to it. The City of Everett is the very first prototype 747; thus, it is literally the world’s first widebody aircraft. I was pretty shocked by the dilapidated condition of the aircraft. Paint was fading and or peeling, and covers were missing here and there. Given the importance of this very aircraft in Boeing’s history and its location right next door to Boeing Field, I’m surprised Boeing didn’t kick in a few bucks to restore and maintain the aircraft as a matter of pride.
Another exhibit in poor condition is the Boeing 727-200 wearing the now retro polished aluminum livery of American Airlines. Naturally, I Googled the registration number to see if this particular aircraft was historically significant. It didn’t, but the 727 program itself was another important chapter in Boeing’s history. The 727 was originally designed as medium capacity and range airliner to compliment the Boeing 707. It was Boeing’s bestselling aircraft, with nearly over 1,800 units produced until surpassed by the wildly successful 737. The 727 served US airlines well for several decades, but were retired due to high operating costs a few years after 9/11. My last 727 flight was on Delta’s SEA-DFW redeye back in August of 2001.
Another interesting exhibit was a modified Boeing 707, or VC-137 in USAF nomenclature. In keeping with the military tradition of acronyms and nicknames, this particular aircraft was dubbed SAM (Special Air Mission) 970. It was the first of three such aircraft purchased by the USAF for VIP transport.
SAM 970
Presidential Office
Communications Center…it looked like something from the Stone Age.
Cockpit
Another interesting exhibit is the Lockheed Super Constellation in Trans Canada Airlines’ colors. It is considered by many in aviation circles to be one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built. I tend to agree, especially given how similar even competing aircraft look these days.
Dec 15, 2013, 12:47 pm
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: BTR/MSY
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LTP, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,258
While I had hoped to find a place to take peek of the flight line of Renton Factory, I wasn’t too keen on another encounter with Boeing Security. So I headed back north to Pike Place Market. I had been there about 13 years ago when I was 14, and absolutely loved it. It was just as nice as remembered, just a lot more crowded.
During my last visit to Seattle 13 years ago, I paid a visit to this coffee shop at Pike Place Market called Starbucks for the very first time. I had no idea at the time, but the first Starbucks I went to was also the very first Starbucks store. 7 years after that, I was a college sophomore struggling with grades due to a little too much partying. As a result of that, my parents were threatening to cut me off. It was really time to shape up. So I applied for a job at my local Starbucks store, and got hired as a barista. Between working nearly full time and taking 18 credit hours each semester to catch up on my course work, I had no time to party. As a result, my grades improved significantly. During my senior year, I got promoted to assistant manager. With the increased workload, it was a bit harder to maintain my grades but I made it through. Starbucks was the kick in arse I needed to jump start my career and I’m very appreciative of it. So I’ve been a very loyal customer even after I left, and I’ve always wanted to go back to the place it all started for Starbucks at Pike Place.
I wasn’t surprised to see a long line snaking from the store when I arrived. While I usually hate long lines, I sucked it up and waited. The line moved very quickly, as I’m sure the partners running the store are used to this type of crowd. While waiting, we were entertained by a very good quartet setup just outside of the door. When I finally entered the store, I was greeted by a friendly barista who was responsible for make sure everyone stayed in the right line, as the line eventually diverges. It was very efficient setup, which greatly contributed to the speed of the line. As the couple in front of me took awhile ordering, the greeting barista struck up a conversation with me. The conversation evolved to into a “coffee conversation” after I told her I was an ex-partner. Eventually, I was helped and walked away from the counter with tall cup of the delicious Sumatra blend.
On display at the store was Starbucks’ original logo. The logo, internally known as the “Siren’s Eye”, was changed to the now ubiquitous green and white logo prior to Starbucks going mainstream as the original was deemed to be a bit too racy. Even many diehard Starbucks customers were unaware of the original logo until the company used it in the launch of the Pike Place blend back in 2008.
After getting my Starbucks fix, I headed into the Pike Place itself. I was blown away by the variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, and seafood available there.
By this time, I was getting really hungry since I hadn’t eaten since my early breakfast. One of the seafood vendors I passed was selling delicious looking seafood cocktails. Caving into temptation, I bought one of the Dungeness crab cocktails. It wasn’t cheap at $13 each, but it was simple, fresh, and delicious. So good, I bought one more before moving on.
I stopped by one of the waterfront restaurants for a bread bowl of seafood chowder to round out lunch, while enjoying the view of the Puget Sound.
Upon reaching the end of Pike Place, I exited to see a wedding party taking pictures in front of the market. I then began walking the length of the market on street checking out the many shops there.
Now that takes some serious body control.
During my last visit to Seattle 13 years ago, I paid a visit to this coffee shop at Pike Place Market called Starbucks for the very first time. I had no idea at the time, but the first Starbucks I went to was also the very first Starbucks store. 7 years after that, I was a college sophomore struggling with grades due to a little too much partying. As a result of that, my parents were threatening to cut me off. It was really time to shape up. So I applied for a job at my local Starbucks store, and got hired as a barista. Between working nearly full time and taking 18 credit hours each semester to catch up on my course work, I had no time to party. As a result, my grades improved significantly. During my senior year, I got promoted to assistant manager. With the increased workload, it was a bit harder to maintain my grades but I made it through. Starbucks was the kick in arse I needed to jump start my career and I’m very appreciative of it. So I’ve been a very loyal customer even after I left, and I’ve always wanted to go back to the place it all started for Starbucks at Pike Place.
I wasn’t surprised to see a long line snaking from the store when I arrived. While I usually hate long lines, I sucked it up and waited. The line moved very quickly, as I’m sure the partners running the store are used to this type of crowd. While waiting, we were entertained by a very good quartet setup just outside of the door. When I finally entered the store, I was greeted by a friendly barista who was responsible for make sure everyone stayed in the right line, as the line eventually diverges. It was very efficient setup, which greatly contributed to the speed of the line. As the couple in front of me took awhile ordering, the greeting barista struck up a conversation with me. The conversation evolved to into a “coffee conversation” after I told her I was an ex-partner. Eventually, I was helped and walked away from the counter with tall cup of the delicious Sumatra blend.
On display at the store was Starbucks’ original logo. The logo, internally known as the “Siren’s Eye”, was changed to the now ubiquitous green and white logo prior to Starbucks going mainstream as the original was deemed to be a bit too racy. Even many diehard Starbucks customers were unaware of the original logo until the company used it in the launch of the Pike Place blend back in 2008.
After getting my Starbucks fix, I headed into the Pike Place itself. I was blown away by the variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, and seafood available there.
By this time, I was getting really hungry since I hadn’t eaten since my early breakfast. One of the seafood vendors I passed was selling delicious looking seafood cocktails. Caving into temptation, I bought one of the Dungeness crab cocktails. It wasn’t cheap at $13 each, but it was simple, fresh, and delicious. So good, I bought one more before moving on.
I stopped by one of the waterfront restaurants for a bread bowl of seafood chowder to round out lunch, while enjoying the view of the Puget Sound.
Upon reaching the end of Pike Place, I exited to see a wedding party taking pictures in front of the market. I then began walking the length of the market on street checking out the many shops there.
Now that takes some serious body control.
Dec 15, 2013, 12:48 pm
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: BTR/MSY
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LTP, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,258
I eventually reached the other place I was yearning to come back to, Piroshky, Piroshky. During my past visit, I fell in love with their delicious salmon pate pastry. Picked up one of those for dinner along with a “star pastry”. Both of them were as delicious as I remembered.
I headed back to the hotel just in time to catch the second half of the Aurburn/Georgia game, during which I enjoyed my pastries along with an amazing pear from one of the fruit vendors. After that, it was lights out because I had another very early start the next morning and another long day ahead.
I headed back to the hotel just in time to catch the second half of the Aurburn/Georgia game, during which I enjoyed my pastries along with an amazing pear from one of the fruit vendors. After that, it was lights out because I had another very early start the next morning and another long day ahead.
Dec 15, 2013, 12:53 pm
#34
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: BTR/MSY
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LTP, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,258
Homeward Bound 3
Ugh. 5 AM on a Sunday morning: an hour not fit for man or beast. But there I was, dragging myself out of bed in anticipation of another long day of flying. I left the hotel just after 5:30 AM, only to turn around after completing half of the trip because I realized I forgot my cell phone charger. I blame the lack of sleep and the early hour. While I’m usually driving to office at that time during the work week, it’s Sunday! A day of rest! But alas it just wasn’t meant to be that day.
I was a bit worried that I was be cutting it close with my latest faux pas, but fortunately there was a shuttle bus waiting for me as soon as I returned my car. I was dropped off at the terminal with less than an hour to go before scheduled departure. I already had a mobile boarding pass, so I headed straight to the Pre-Check line and breezed through security. It was quite a hike from the security checkpoint to gate D8, but I made it there about 10 minutes before boarding started. The gate area was just starting to fill up when I arrived.
American Airlines 268
Seattle (SEA) - New York (JFK)
Depart: 7:00 AM
Arrive: 3:30 PM
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Seat: 6E (First Class)
A nice thick pillow and quilted blanket was waiting for me at my seat. While many of American’s in flight items have been rebranded, this was the first time I’ve seen a pillow with the new logo. I will definitely miss the classy old Flagship logo.
After a quick taxi to Runway 16L, we roared down the runway and took off. We soon entered a thick layer of clouds that would shroud the view of the ground for the duration of the flight. American had recently began offering Samsung Galaxy tablets on a few select transcon route in addition to JFK/MIA to LAX/SFO. JFK-SEA is one of those select routes.
Meal service began with hot towels followed by a round of drinks, during which menus were distributed.
Breakfast
Entrees
Corn Beef Hash
With cream cheese and chive scrambled eggs
Cereal and Yogurt
With a banana and fresh seasonal berries
Served with a selection of breakfast breads.
FAs came back around to take or confirm breakfast orders a short while later. I had preordered the Corn Beef Hash, which came hand delivered from the galley. My seatmate had slept through the meal service, but the FA was happy to serve him cereal and yogurt entrée later. The corn beef hash was pretty good, but I couldn’t taste the cream cheese as described in the menu. As usual, the fruit was fresh but not particularly ripe. I chose a biscuit with honey to accompany my meal.
I enjoy the Samsung Galaxy tablets, which are loaded with a fairly nice selection of movies, TV shows, and music. But given the design of the seats, there is really nowhere to place it if a passenger wants to use it during the meal service. Since my seatmate was sleeping, I was able to take advantage of the additional space to place my tablet.
After breakfast, I settled down to study, only pausing for the midflight fruit and cheese plate. The purser followed the FA offering the cheese plate with a bottle of wine. While the bottle was properly presented with label facing the passenger, the wine itself was not very good.
Cookies and milk were offered prior to landing, but I declined it. We landed nearly an hour early in foggy and misty New York. I thanked the FAs attendants on the way out, and headed straight to Terminal 2 to check in for my Delta flight to Dallas. I originally intended to end the trip report here, but I was so impressed by my experience at Delta’s new Terminal 4 Sky Club that I figured why not include it.
Since my flight to Dallas was a Delta Connection flight, it departed out of Terminal 2. But I wanted to check Delta’s new Terminal 4, so I hopped on the free shuttle offered by Delta, dubbed the ‘JFK Jitney’. There was a Delta agent checking boarding passes at the bus gate, but she let me pass without issue when I told her I wanted to get something to eat at Terminal 4. It was a very short trek over to the other terminal. With all of the hype surrounding the new terminal, I expected something amazing. But what I found was a dark terminal with fairly low ceilings accented by multi colored lights.
I might be just a smidge biased, but I think American’s revamped Terminal A at DFW is nicer. Though, I’m sure the dreary weather might have had something to do with my impression of the terminal, and it was getting worse by the minute.
After a bit of a walk, I reached the very nice Sky Club.
Sky Club entrance
After handing the agent processed my one day pass, I went to the shower attendant and immediately requested a shower room. While it was nice, I didn’t really care for the red and green color scheme.
After my shower, I found a quiet corner to study but got hungry after awhile. Since I would be riding in steerage on the way back to DFW, some dinner wouldn’t be a bad idea. While many on the Delta forum are vehemently against the new premium offerings at the Sky Club, I wanted to form an opinion for myself. As soon as sat down in the nice dining area, a server came to offer me an menu, which was on an iPad, and filled my water glass. Nice impression so far.
I eventually settled on the sliders, which were served chips with truffle oil, and a side of macaroni and cheese. They were delivered after a very short wait.
Holy crap they were good. The macaroni and cheese was among the cheesiest and most delicious I’ve ever had. The sliders and chips were tasty as well. Additionally, Sky Clubs use real cutlery as opposed to the plasticware offered at Admirals Clubs. Bonus points in my book. It wasn’t cheap. My bill totaled about $22. But the food was very tasty, and the ambiance was far nicer and quieter than most airport restaurants. Overall, I think it was worth it.
I thought I had taken more pictures of the Sky Club, but I can’t find them on my camera or my iPhone unfortunately. It was very large and well-appointed facility, definitely a huge improvement compared to the T2 Sky Club. The feature I wanted to check out the most was the Sky Deck, but it was closed due to the rain.
I arrived back at Terminal 2 to find a madhouse. Many flights were delayed, included mine which was subject to a 15 minute rolling delay. For once, I really didn’t mind the delay because they were showing the Saints/49ers game on the television in the gate area.
What made the wait even more bearable were the gate agents. They setup a beverage cart in the middle of the gate area, and made many passes with a snack basket filled with peanuts, pretzels, and Biscoffs. A huge kudos to them for being proactive. Despite the delays, most people in the gate area were actually pretty happy. Despite their crappy frequent flier program, Delta is an airline that gets many things, like this, right. I’ve always been pretty impressed with them each time I’ve flown with them…until I try to redeem my miles, but that’s a discussion for another day.
There was nothing to report on from my flight back to Dallas, other than I forgot how bad the CRJ-900s are in coach. It was a very cramped and uncomfortable 3 hour flight. Other than that, it was an absolutely perfect weekend. I did my av geek thing, the Saints pulled out another victory, and I secured AAdvantgae Platinum status through 2015. It was a nice way to cap off the most wonderful time of the year.
If you’re still reading, yes it really is the end. You finally made it! I realize not many people want to read through nearly 36,000 words on domestic US travel, so that’s why I tried to present from a different angle and focus on things and events not commonly reported on in the Trip Report forum. Why did I write this if I knew most people wouldn’t be interested? I did it for me. It’s been insane for me lately as I’m working and studying for my commissioning test (aka the pass or you’re canned test). Writing this report was an avenue for me to blow off some steam, and take a breather.
Thanks again to all of you who have read and/or commented! I’ll have another trip report coming sometime in the spring, which I promise will be significantly more interesting as I embark on European adventure on American’s new Business Class on their 777-300ER, Air France’s long haul Business Class, and Delta’s new Business Elite on their 767-300ER.
Till then, happy contrails and safe travels to all!
Ugh. 5 AM on a Sunday morning: an hour not fit for man or beast. But there I was, dragging myself out of bed in anticipation of another long day of flying. I left the hotel just after 5:30 AM, only to turn around after completing half of the trip because I realized I forgot my cell phone charger. I blame the lack of sleep and the early hour. While I’m usually driving to office at that time during the work week, it’s Sunday! A day of rest! But alas it just wasn’t meant to be that day.
I was a bit worried that I was be cutting it close with my latest faux pas, but fortunately there was a shuttle bus waiting for me as soon as I returned my car. I was dropped off at the terminal with less than an hour to go before scheduled departure. I already had a mobile boarding pass, so I headed straight to the Pre-Check line and breezed through security. It was quite a hike from the security checkpoint to gate D8, but I made it there about 10 minutes before boarding started. The gate area was just starting to fill up when I arrived.
American Airlines 268
Seattle (SEA) - New York (JFK)
Depart: 7:00 AM
Arrive: 3:30 PM
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Seat: 6E (First Class)
A nice thick pillow and quilted blanket was waiting for me at my seat. While many of American’s in flight items have been rebranded, this was the first time I’ve seen a pillow with the new logo. I will definitely miss the classy old Flagship logo.
After a quick taxi to Runway 16L, we roared down the runway and took off. We soon entered a thick layer of clouds that would shroud the view of the ground for the duration of the flight. American had recently began offering Samsung Galaxy tablets on a few select transcon route in addition to JFK/MIA to LAX/SFO. JFK-SEA is one of those select routes.
Meal service began with hot towels followed by a round of drinks, during which menus were distributed.
Breakfast
Entrees
Corn Beef Hash
With cream cheese and chive scrambled eggs
Cereal and Yogurt
With a banana and fresh seasonal berries
Served with a selection of breakfast breads.
FAs came back around to take or confirm breakfast orders a short while later. I had preordered the Corn Beef Hash, which came hand delivered from the galley. My seatmate had slept through the meal service, but the FA was happy to serve him cereal and yogurt entrée later. The corn beef hash was pretty good, but I couldn’t taste the cream cheese as described in the menu. As usual, the fruit was fresh but not particularly ripe. I chose a biscuit with honey to accompany my meal.
I enjoy the Samsung Galaxy tablets, which are loaded with a fairly nice selection of movies, TV shows, and music. But given the design of the seats, there is really nowhere to place it if a passenger wants to use it during the meal service. Since my seatmate was sleeping, I was able to take advantage of the additional space to place my tablet.
After breakfast, I settled down to study, only pausing for the midflight fruit and cheese plate. The purser followed the FA offering the cheese plate with a bottle of wine. While the bottle was properly presented with label facing the passenger, the wine itself was not very good.
Cookies and milk were offered prior to landing, but I declined it. We landed nearly an hour early in foggy and misty New York. I thanked the FAs attendants on the way out, and headed straight to Terminal 2 to check in for my Delta flight to Dallas. I originally intended to end the trip report here, but I was so impressed by my experience at Delta’s new Terminal 4 Sky Club that I figured why not include it.
Since my flight to Dallas was a Delta Connection flight, it departed out of Terminal 2. But I wanted to check Delta’s new Terminal 4, so I hopped on the free shuttle offered by Delta, dubbed the ‘JFK Jitney’. There was a Delta agent checking boarding passes at the bus gate, but she let me pass without issue when I told her I wanted to get something to eat at Terminal 4. It was a very short trek over to the other terminal. With all of the hype surrounding the new terminal, I expected something amazing. But what I found was a dark terminal with fairly low ceilings accented by multi colored lights.
I might be just a smidge biased, but I think American’s revamped Terminal A at DFW is nicer. Though, I’m sure the dreary weather might have had something to do with my impression of the terminal, and it was getting worse by the minute.
After a bit of a walk, I reached the very nice Sky Club.
Sky Club entrance
After handing the agent processed my one day pass, I went to the shower attendant and immediately requested a shower room. While it was nice, I didn’t really care for the red and green color scheme.
After my shower, I found a quiet corner to study but got hungry after awhile. Since I would be riding in steerage on the way back to DFW, some dinner wouldn’t be a bad idea. While many on the Delta forum are vehemently against the new premium offerings at the Sky Club, I wanted to form an opinion for myself. As soon as sat down in the nice dining area, a server came to offer me an menu, which was on an iPad, and filled my water glass. Nice impression so far.
I eventually settled on the sliders, which were served chips with truffle oil, and a side of macaroni and cheese. They were delivered after a very short wait.
Holy crap they were good. The macaroni and cheese was among the cheesiest and most delicious I’ve ever had. The sliders and chips were tasty as well. Additionally, Sky Clubs use real cutlery as opposed to the plasticware offered at Admirals Clubs. Bonus points in my book. It wasn’t cheap. My bill totaled about $22. But the food was very tasty, and the ambiance was far nicer and quieter than most airport restaurants. Overall, I think it was worth it.
I thought I had taken more pictures of the Sky Club, but I can’t find them on my camera or my iPhone unfortunately. It was very large and well-appointed facility, definitely a huge improvement compared to the T2 Sky Club. The feature I wanted to check out the most was the Sky Deck, but it was closed due to the rain.
I arrived back at Terminal 2 to find a madhouse. Many flights were delayed, included mine which was subject to a 15 minute rolling delay. For once, I really didn’t mind the delay because they were showing the Saints/49ers game on the television in the gate area.
What made the wait even more bearable were the gate agents. They setup a beverage cart in the middle of the gate area, and made many passes with a snack basket filled with peanuts, pretzels, and Biscoffs. A huge kudos to them for being proactive. Despite the delays, most people in the gate area were actually pretty happy. Despite their crappy frequent flier program, Delta is an airline that gets many things, like this, right. I’ve always been pretty impressed with them each time I’ve flown with them…until I try to redeem my miles, but that’s a discussion for another day.
There was nothing to report on from my flight back to Dallas, other than I forgot how bad the CRJ-900s are in coach. It was a very cramped and uncomfortable 3 hour flight. Other than that, it was an absolutely perfect weekend. I did my av geek thing, the Saints pulled out another victory, and I secured AAdvantgae Platinum status through 2015. It was a nice way to cap off the most wonderful time of the year.
If you’re still reading, yes it really is the end. You finally made it! I realize not many people want to read through nearly 36,000 words on domestic US travel, so that’s why I tried to present from a different angle and focus on things and events not commonly reported on in the Trip Report forum. Why did I write this if I knew most people wouldn’t be interested? I did it for me. It’s been insane for me lately as I’m working and studying for my commissioning test (aka the pass or you’re canned test). Writing this report was an avenue for me to blow off some steam, and take a breather.
Thanks again to all of you who have read and/or commented! I’ll have another trip report coming sometime in the spring, which I promise will be significantly more interesting as I embark on European adventure on American’s new Business Class on their 777-300ER, Air France’s long haul Business Class, and Delta’s new Business Elite on their 767-300ER.
Till then, happy contrails and safe travels to all!
Dec 15, 2013, 1:23 pm
#35
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
Cool TR! So many familiar sights there...the local DC things I see every day, the retro AA neon eagle hanging out in BOS, the DFW-ANC mileage run leg that I did back in September, with the same view, the same menu, and possibly the same plane.
Very lucky of you to snag the 763 DFW-LAX. I had the reverse route which was scheduled on a 763 with NGBC seats right up until a couple days before. Swapped to 757, which went mechanical and ended up getting me into DFW late enough to strand me overnight.
Because you mention the boarding music, what is the current AA boarding song? It's literally been the same song every time I've boarded for the last couple months - some sort of country/folk thing that sounds like it's from 30 years ago. I tried googling what I thought to be a snippet of the lyrics and got nothing. FT threads on AA boarding music that I found didn't seem to make any mention of it. The deplaning music is still the piano pop you mention.
Very lucky of you to snag the 763 DFW-LAX. I had the reverse route which was scheduled on a 763 with NGBC seats right up until a couple days before. Swapped to 757, which went mechanical and ended up getting me into DFW late enough to strand me overnight.
Because you mention the boarding music, what is the current AA boarding song? It's literally been the same song every time I've boarded for the last couple months - some sort of country/folk thing that sounds like it's from 30 years ago. I tried googling what I thought to be a snippet of the lyrics and got nothing. FT threads on AA boarding music that I found didn't seem to make any mention of it. The deplaning music is still the piano pop you mention.
Dec 15, 2013, 3:12 pm
#36
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: DCA
Programs: AA Plat Pro, UA Silver, DL Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,851
Great report. Sometimes it's nice to read about the domestic stuff too, especially if it's well written like this! Very enjoyable read! Happy holidays!
Dec 16, 2013, 1:46 pm
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: BTR/MSY
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LTP, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,258
Cool TR! So many familiar sights there...the local DC things I see every day, the retro AA neon eagle hanging out in BOS, the DFW-ANC mileage run leg that I did back in September, with the same view, the same menu, and possibly the same plane.
Very lucky of you to snag the 763 DFW-LAX. I had the reverse route which was scheduled on a 763 with NGBC seats right up until a couple days before. Swapped to 757, which went mechanical and ended up getting me into DFW late enough to strand me overnight.
Because you mention the boarding music, what is the current AA boarding song? It's literally been the same song every time I've boarded for the last couple months - some sort of country/folk thing that sounds like it's from 30 years ago. I tried googling what I thought to be a snippet of the lyrics and got nothing. FT threads on AA boarding music that I found didn't seem to make any mention of it. The deplaning music is still the piano pop you mention.
Very lucky of you to snag the 763 DFW-LAX. I had the reverse route which was scheduled on a 763 with NGBC seats right up until a couple days before. Swapped to 757, which went mechanical and ended up getting me into DFW late enough to strand me overnight.
Because you mention the boarding music, what is the current AA boarding song? It's literally been the same song every time I've boarded for the last couple months - some sort of country/folk thing that sounds like it's from 30 years ago. I tried googling what I thought to be a snippet of the lyrics and got nothing. FT threads on AA boarding music that I found didn't seem to make any mention of it. The deplaning music is still the piano pop you mention.
I was kind of surprised my DFW-LAX did clear, but I'm assume the agent making same day change for me carried over my time stamp from the original request. Therefore I vaulted to the top of the list. I actually missed LAX-DFW just before Thanksgiving, despite being on a last minute Y fare. Granted, that was on a 737-800.
To be honest, I haven't really been paying attention to boarding music of late. When they made the change, it was so different I had to pay attention haha.
Thanks, sky303! Same to you as well!