New Years in Buenos Aires and Mendoza via American Airlines 772 Flagship First Class
 

For the past few years, we've been spending New Years traveling with our good SoCal friends. Last year was Sevilla, the year before Salzburg. This year we decided on South America and Buenos Aires. Despite warnings of heat and humidity and the reality of mostly crappy flight options to South America, we decided to roll the dice. Oops... believe it or not, this is an improvement over last night's forecast. :eek:

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5600-M.jpg

And memo to self: no matter how hot it gets, stick to the pools.
Pirhana attack in Argentina leaves at least 70 injured

And then there are our flights. No 5* or even 4* airlines on this trip, although I had flirted with and booked KE's LAX-GRU 77W. But leaving a day early and spending 8 hours in transit just didn't seem like it was worth the effort. That plus I waited until it was too late to safely send passports off for a Brazilian visa. What sealed the deal was we are now on the same DFW-EZE flight as our SoCal friends who are connecting from LAX.

American Airlines Admirals Club at DEN
American Airlines First Class DEN-DFW
American Express Centurion Lounge at DFW
American Airlines First Class DFW-EZE
Alvear Palace Hotel Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Aerolineas Argentinas Premium Economy AEP-MDZ
Park Hyatt Mendoza
Mendoza and Wine Country
LAN Chile Economy MDZ-SCL
Santiago de Chile
San Cristobal Hotel Santiago
Delta Business Elite SCL-ATL
Delta SkyClub at ATL
Delta Business Elite ATL-DEN

Easy drive to DIA this morning and we were at check-in at T-90, where the agent told told us that the fight was running about a half hour late. That's AA speak for at least an hour. "Thanks for getting us here so early" was the first of many witty comments from the Princess today.

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5603-M.jpg

One look at the 50 pax deep line at the South Pre-Check line, we headed to North Pre-Check where it was much better with only a few kettles in the line. A quick train ride to the first stop, Concourse A where the Princess came up with another good one, "Are we going to another club or the crappy one?" Sorry dear, we are going to "the crappy one" aka The Admirals Club, which IMO is better than the only other option here, the United Club, north or south.

More mostly recycles pics of the DEN Admirals Club.

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S.../IMG5758-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5609-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S.../IMG5761-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S.../IMG5765-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S.../IMG5762-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S.../IMG5764-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S.../IMG5766-M.jpg

And today's arrivals and departures, now with a more realistic but still optimistic 65 minute delay.

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...MG_5606-XL.jpg

With the delay and no "lunch" on our DEN-DFW, we or rather I decided to have something at the AC and took a chance on the Cuban Pork Panini. Either I was really hungry or this was one very tasty panini. Mrs. SFO took one bite, exclaimed "wow" and proceeded to share my panini.

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5607-L.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0180-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0183-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0186-M.jpg

At T-20, we headed out to Gate A51 where boarding was just beginning.

AA 109
DEN-DFW
MD-80
11:55A-2:55P (sked)
1:20P-3:50P (actual and ETA)
December 28, 2013
Seats 5AB
Refreshments

Not much warmth to this crew today. No PDB and self-serve hang your coat.
Drinks and the furthest from the truth "Gourmet" Snack Mix.

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5620-M.jpg

First time in ages I've been on the AB side. I'll miss the Mad Dogs when they are retired.

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5611-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5613-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5615-M.jpg

Coming up: Our first look at the DFW Centurion Lounge

Do you never stop flying :p
Looking forward to this one as always. ^

1,000 calories and 51g of fat in a pannini? Wow indeed.

I noticed that too! I don't want to know what it would be for the UA chicken hot pocket they serve as the pre-landing snack on long BF flights.

Son.....Of.....A.......... Here i am having a great day.....and then i refresh the trip reports thread....and what pops up?????? ANOTHER.....SFO......TR..... I think the most depressing thing is.....you're not even in retirement......if you're doing this many TR's now......how many are you going to make when you enter retirement... :o(

You won man....i dunno what....but you won....lol.

Is it about time to have your own forum?..... you do realize you're creating addicts.....and if you so happen to slow down with TR's.....Phizer will have to make a drug to treat our accute SFO-TR-Itis....with the commercial that asks if we're suffering from it....and then the creepy guy in the middle describing all the nasty side effects while showing people having fun.....

Bravo sir......BRA-VO

It's incredible... When your day gets boring, just open FlyerTalk and you'll find another SFO777's trip report.
I love Argentina, hope you can have a beautiful stay there!

Just as shocking IMO is the sodium in it!
Then again, keep in mind it is America...
For SFO777- I hope that you paid for the flight to Santiago in pesos before the restrictions came into effect...
(at the blue/black market rate.)
(then again, I don't have much experience with those flights as I have only used those flights as part of an international itinerary. If I were going by myself, I would use the bus.)

Was super curious what you were doing in 5A/5B, knowing you, it's always 3E/3F or 6E/6F ;)
And I'm guessing MDZ-SCL is an Avios ticket? :confused:
Glad to see you are doing Santiago de Chile as well ^

Bahaha, can you imagine SFO777 fully retired? :D
I think most of us want to still see his and the Mrs. adventures :)


Having met Mrs. SFO777 prior, I legit can't see her taking a bus nowadays, that is a divorce waiting to happen if so ;)
Maybe the bus when there were still in college :p

If she lived in HK, then maybe she would rethink that as the costs of maintaining a car + fees for driving (petrol duty and tolls) would likely mean there is no money left to go on holiday (not to mention how much more difficult it is to collect mileage there compared to America.)
Then again, with BIS miles, it could be doable-though not 6-7x/year.

Not necessarily, I can think of a couple HKG people on top of my heart that I personally know that are equally like that.
Might see them taking the subway in traffic jam but definitely no bus.
They hired drivers to drive them in their luxury vans, have a couple Ferraris sitting in the garage, have multiple maids for housekeeping and still do 6x vacations (mix of short/long haul) in F/J a year.

I went to hong kong on our way to SGN...... We took a tour with Bigfoot Tours (highly highly highly recommend them)....i would love to move there if i was loaded...they told us how expensive it is to get a drivers license.

Wow another SFO777 report! I just barely finished the other and got some more leisure reading to do as I'm on my own mileage award.

Wait - SFO777 in Business on Delta again? I'm surprised you (or more correctly so Mrs SFO777) would be willing to fly in J and not F. :)

For those that haven't been here, DFW is huge. I'm here 2, 4, sometimes 8 times a month and it grows on you. AA occupies 4 of the 5 terminals and the Skylink is clean, fast and efficient way of navigating your way around. We arrived at C17 and a few minutes later were on the Skylink for the long winding way around to the D terminal. One would think C and D would be next to each other but alas the progression here is A, C, E, D, B and a blank space presumably for a future F.

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0208-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0211-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0212-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0213-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5622-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5621-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5627-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0216-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0217-L.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0210-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0195-M.jpg

The D terminal is the newest and most attractive terminal. It also serves as the main international terminal.

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0199-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0205-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0203-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0202-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0200-M.jpg

AA has an Admirals Club in all four terminals. Been there, done that. So i was eager to visit the new Centurion Lounge. Amex is opening these lounges at a few airports (LAS and DFW so far). All one needs to gain entrance is an Amex Platinum or Centurion card.

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0196-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0197-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0193-M.jpg

Other than a few primo seats in the far end of the lounge, the non dining seating areas are actually fairly limited and not that comfortable. The U-shape design has most seating right near and beside foot traffic. All four of DFW Admirals Clubs are much larger with bigger and more functional business centers.

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0225-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0191-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5645-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5649-L.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5648-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5633-M.jpg

But no Admirals Club has a spa. Very nice.

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5644-M.jpg

The best feature and biggest draw is the open bar and the delicious food offerings.

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0192-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5636-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5632-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5631-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5637-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5638-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5640-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5639-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5641-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5635-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_0190-M.jpg

http://sfo777.smugmug.com/Other/AA-S...IMG_5651-M.jpg

All in all, a good addition to the DFW lounge scene. Despite its small size and tendency to get very crowded at times, I'd rank it high on the domestic lounge scene but only for the free food and drink. Without that, there is no reason to come here if you can access the Admirals Club.

Up Next: Pleasantly surprised by AA's International Flagship Service. They are really trying, but it's tough to teach refined Asian/Gulf service subtleties to a NA cabin crew. But all in all, even with old First, food, service and crew were worlds better than BA First.

Thanks Jenzo.

But, but... look at the protein. And at least I only ate half of it. ;)

OMG, probably off the charts.

LOL. Thanks very much Tony for your kind comments.

Thank you themapelligroup.

Ha! Yeah SHF nailed that one right. No way for the bus with the Princess.

All the double EF seats were preselected so 5AB it was. No Avios, but I did get a semi "reasonable" fare for the 121 mile trip.

For sure. :D

Thanks shounate03. Yeah, yeah I know. But there are just not a lot of great options to/from SA. Plus I get to burn some otherwise useless SkyPesos.