QuietLion

Last-minute Cyber-Fare!

With United’s service in Seattle deteriorating (took me 26 minutes to check in at the 1K line) and fares becoming less competitive (they no longer seem to bother matching many competing fares and hardly ever have last-minute fares from Seattle), I’ve decided to sample American and Continental to see if I want to switch. American is very attractive because the Oneworld alliance allows access to the International First Class Lounge on any class for elites. Continental is attractive because of its top reputation for customer service and frequent discounts.

So when my Hunnybear had a business meeting in Dallas this weekend, I decided to purchase an Internet special First Class fare on AA, SEA-DFW, for $429 (regular price in F is about $1700). I rarely fly American since they are not partners with Membership Rewards and there’s no way for me to upgrade. This will be my first flight on AA in probably 15 years.

For some reason, I always forget my PIN with aa.com and have to request a new one. Fortunately, they have automated that process and it is now much easier. Once I got my new PIN, the on-line purchase went well. It knew I lived in Seattle and put the Seattle-Dallas flight right at the top of the list of choices…good programming, guys! I was surprised to find that there was availability on virtually every flight for the discount fare. They must be selling regular revenue seats on this F/C special. I booked a lunch flight down Saturday morning and a “light breakfast” flight back…I’d bet the light breakfast is all carbohydrates, though, and I’m a low-carb guy. One thing I like about UA is they always have a high-protein, low-carb choice for breakfast. Many airlines have a choice, but it’s between a fruit plate and pancakes—no protein!

While in Dallas, I’m going to do my patented “Starwood Shuffle” and stay at a couple of different properties. The first night will be up in North Dallas at the Westin Park Central for an astounding weekend rate of $65/night. That is the lowest price I’ve ever paid to stay at a Westin. I hope it doesn’t suck. This property is very confusing…it used to be the Sheraton Park Central, but now they’ve got a new Sheraton Park Central and they renamed the old one to the Westin. Go figure.

The second night I’m moving to the Sheraton Grand DFW so I don’t have to fight morning traffic Monday. I got the AAA rate of $112, exactly three dollars less than the weekend rate. No Entertainment or UA 50% off coupons were available at any of the Dallas properties for either day. This puts me within 8 stays of achieving…Plutonium status!

But this morning a major hitch happened in the plans…Hunnybear got called on a business emergency to Toronto instead of Dallas. So now I have no one to play with in Dallas Saturday night, although my friend Danny is coming in From Oklahoma City Sunday. So if any of you want to have dinner or see the Rangers play the Red Sox Saturday night, give me a shout via email.

Next… “You mean there are other check-in counters at this airport past United and Alaska?”


[This message has been edited by QuietLion (edited 08-20-1999).]

QuietLion

We're American Airlines, MD-80s in the Air!

It is SO nice to book a flight for a reasonable hour of the morning. I didn't even set the alarm as I nestled into a restful night's sleep (sans Hunnybear who was in Toronto saving the world ) and woke in plenty of time to pack, check email, and do all the day-to-day routines that make life delightful. I left at 9:30 to grab an iced Americano at Tully's Coffee and tool the Pontiac convertible down to Sea-Tac. I parked in Master Park for the first time -- I saw their banner for Alaska Airline miles and drove right in. The sign said $11.95/day for valet parking service and luggage handling, so I thought I'd give it a try. I asked the jock two questions. One, do you acceptt competing coupons (I had a $7.95/day Ajax coupon) and two, how do I get my miles? He said when I check out, show my Alaska card and get a discount, he thought it was $9/day. I said never mind the discount, what about my miles? He said I get the discount and miles. I think I've found a new place to park!

The guy then proceeded to unload my luggage from my truck, load it into the truck, leave for the airport within 30 seconds, and unload my luggage, all the time calling me "sir" about 50 times. When we arrived, he said that he had slipped a one-day-free coupon into my car for me to use, because when he thought about it he wasn't sure that I actually got a discount in addition to miles. So if I do get the discount, then I could still have the 1 day free! I tipped him $5 and said it was the best valet parking experience of my life. Man was he happy.

I have to say I felt just a little odd about going up to the American counter (which I found right next to the Alaska counter -- funny how I never noticed it before ). I've been flying United and Alaska so long that I felt almost disloyal. I went to the First Class checkin line and waited exactly 2 seconds before one of the three agents there invited me to step up, a thin fiftyish man with a Quaker-style beard.

"I'm going to Dallas," I said, fishing through my wallet, "and even though I'm not going to drive there, here's my license."

Checkin was routine and efficient, and the agent was personable and helpful. I told him this was my first time flying American, so he was being auditioned. He told me when and where to board. I asked about a First-Class departure lounge, but they only had their membership-only club llike United. I asked if my Alaska card would get me in and he said no. Oh well, I said, I'll just go to the Alaska lounge -- it's in the same terminal. When it was through, I told him he passed -- five stars!

If you've never been in the Alaska Airlines Board Room, you've missed a treat. Bowls of chocolate-chip cookies, fresh scones, fruit and cheese, complimentary bar service... the only thing wrong with it is that the Internet terminal won't let you display anything but the Alaska web site! What's up with that? I only have about 10 minutes to spend there, so I get a Diet Coke, ask the nice lady for some cheese (which wasn't put out yet...it goes out at 11), and download my email.

At about 20 past 10, I head out for the long trek to gate C17... the farthest gate in the terminal. The flight is already boarding, and I give the gate attendant my boarding pass to run through the machine. Unlike United, it spits back the whole boarding pass rather than just the stub. I ask if this is right and she looks at me like I'm form Mars. Then I say that I noticed this flight is a code-share with an airline whose code is "LR." What airline is that? She says she'll have to get back to me on that. I don't know how she's going to get back to me, since she's staying in Seattle and I'm boarding a flight to Dallas, but I smile and thank her.

On the jetway, a cute girl ahead of me turns and smiles at me, but then identifias herself as a coworker of Hunnybear's who I'd better not flirt with. She's going down to this confab in Dallas, but most unfortunately has to fly in coach. I wave goodbye as I arrive at my seat, 3E, which is American's version of 1C. For some reason 3 is the first row. Maybe they sell the lavatory if the flight's really crowded, I don't know.

I snapped a couple pictures of the MD-80 -- Super 80, they call it. First Class looks pretty nice... 5 rows, 20 seats versus UA's 2 or 3 rows in narrowbodies. But coach looks like a torture chamber! Endless rows of 3 and 2 with the narrowest aisle I've ever seen! Brrrrr. Even the width of the First Class seats feels narrow. I'm not that big a guy, but as I sit down my thighs touch the sides of the seat and when I put the tray table down it rests on my thighs. And no video or even audio on a four-hour flight! This is a deal-killer for me as far as American goes.

Now the best news... my cell phone rang and it was my Hunnybear! She was about to catch a 3:20 flight for... Dallas! Yay!

The crew was pleasant if perfunctory in their service, and did the usual thing of spending the second half of the flight ignoring the passengers and chatting loudly amongst themselves in the front of the plane. The meal was OK... a cup of soup was spicy and excellent, but the shrimp salad was just OK and full of yucky cilantro. They had Bombay Sapphire gin and olives, so I was happy with that. But there were only two wines, a Merlot which I don't like and an unappetizing Chardonnay. Same wines in First and Coach.

Now let's talk power outlets. All the First Class seats were equipped with power outlets, but my Port adaptor wouldn't plug in. I asked the stewardess if I needed some special cord. She asked in the cockpit, but they never returned with an answer. Can it be that the adaptor cord AA uses is different from the one UA uses? How RUDE! I never got it working.

The winds were with us, so the flight got in about 15 minutes early.

Next: This airport is HUGE!

QuietLion

Oh, those wild and crazy security checkpoints!

The SEA-DFW flight on AA arrived at terminal C. I walked what seemed like quite a distance down to the baggage claim…and waited. And waited. And waited. Half an hour after the flight touched down, the bags started coming. I didn’t recall the check-in agent putting any kind of priority tag on my bag, and indeed there was none, but I guess there are so few passengers on an MD-80 that it doesn’t really make much difference. My bag was one of the first out anyway…go figure.

Hunnybear’s flight from Toronto, on Canadian, was set to arrive in one hour at terminal A. I figured I’d hop into the Red Carpet Club and post the trip report and check email for a half-hour or so. I called United and asked where the RCC was—terminal B. A, B, and C: that’s all the terminals. Cool. So I walked about a mile to the train to Terminal B. I was the only one waiting in a dingy station, and I waited about 10 minutes for the train to even show up. I was used to trains coming every 2 minutes in Seattle! When I got on, I discovered the reason: the terminals are quite far apart! The train ride was another 10 minutes to terminal B. When I got off, I was in the baggage claim area.

Now the baggage claim carousels are labeled with the letter B followed by a number. The gates are also labeled with the letter B followed by a number, and the sequence is very close, but not quite the same. Very confusing. To create further problems, I realize the RCC is inside security and United isn’t going to let me bring my big luggage through the security checkpoint because they have that danged template. So I cleverly walk down to the next security checkpoint, for Funjet Vacations, and start to load my bags into this HUGE x-ray machine there. But—denied! The guard asks me what airline I’m traveling on. “I’m just going in to the Red Carpet Club,” I say. “De bag eez too beeg,” he says. He looks and talks like he’s from Africa. I argue with him, but he makes up some story about big bags damaging his conveyor belt. Funny, I think, how big bags damage his conveyor belt right about the time that savvy fliers are getting wise to the fact that they can bypass the UA template by walking around to the next entrance…

I say, “Yeah, yeah.,” and wheel by bags back to the UA counter. By this time I’m sweating even inside the air-conditioned terminal. It’s 101 degrees outside. I take off my sport jacket and carry it in one arm, then fish through my wallet for my RCC card and my UA 1K card. I go up to the empty UA counter and explain the situation to the agent at the First Class station. He sympathizes and suggests that I talk to the baggage claim people about leaving my bag with them temporarily. A good idea, I think, except that I ain’t talking to nobody. I wheel my bag into a line of unclaimed baggage standing next to a line of people whose baggage didn’t show up (funny how those two seem to go together), unclip my laptop, and head for the UA checkpoint.

For some reason the metal detector at this checkpoint is the most sensitive I have ever seen. I take off my cell phone, keys, change purse, money clip, wallet…everything remotely metal that’s not actually protecting my modesty. Still it beeps me. The security guard says, “credeet carrdz.” He looks and sounds like he’s from Africa too. He inclines his head at the RCC and 1K cards I’m holding in my hand. I doubt those two little cards are causing the beeps, but I put them in the basket anyway. Still beeps. I go to the manual scan and assume the position, starting to feel almost as crucified as I look. That thing beeps at every rivet on my blue jeans, and then beeps on my shoes! I still don’t know where the metal is on my shoes. Finally they grudgingly let me through, and I get to the RCC 20 minutes before I’m supposed to meet Hunnybear.

The RCC looks very nice. I go to show my membership card to the nice lady and…it’s gone. Along with my 1K card. I must have left it them at the checkpoint. “How long will it take me to get to terminal A?” I ask. “About 20 minutes.” “Look, I must have left my card at security. Do you trust me for a Diet Coke?” She looks like she can’t decide if I’m scamming her or not. I certainly am acting like someone would act if they were scamming, so I don’t blame her. To her credit, she simply asks if I have anything with my UA number printed on it. I do—I have a whole pile of upgrades in my travel organizer—but I just show her my 1K luggage tags and recite my number from memory. The bartender doesn’t have soft drinks by the can, so I get a bottled water and head over to the train to Terminal A.

It takes 5 minutes for the train to arrive and 10 minutes to get there, so I arrive at the gate exactly at the time her plane arrives. She is first off the plane and is happy to see me. While we head for Hertz, she tells me an absolutely horrific story of her checkin in Toronto with an American agent working at the Canadian checkin counter…but that’s another story.

Next: Oh doctor… it Hertz!

Flyaway

Quitelion: How does someone from Africa look???? What exactly does this mean??

QuietLion

Flyaway...I think there are Africans in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but these folks had very dark skin, thick lips, flat noses, and the most interesting accents. (French/Dutch influence? Not quite the same as a Carribean accent, wish I could describe it better.)

The point, which I guess I didn't make clear, was that I found it interesting that there were lots of African immigrants in Dallas. They are very rare in my parochial home of Seattle! I have a friend from South Africa who says the long dark winters are just too depressing for Africans he knows who've tried to live up in the Northwest.

Hammertoad

Great stuff, QL! I trust you were able to retrieve your RCC and MP cards from security?

Did you make it to the Alley?
Cheers,

'toad

QuietLion

Hammertoad, I did retrieve the cards! They were holding them for me so all is well now, thanks. I didn't get to the Alley unfortunately...what started out as a lonely night turned into more activities than I could juggle...but I love that! Thanks.

Westin, Sheraton…what’s the difference?

We exited the terminal into the 101-degree heat and looked for the signs for the car rental shuttle. We walked about a mile until we got to a sign that said “Courtesy Buses.” There was a woman waiting there, so we waited too, and it was only a couple minutes before we saw the shared-ride van for the major car-rental companies. Unfortunately, it whizzed right by us! It was then that we realized that we weren’t looking for a courteous bus. The woman waiting there spun on her heel and, without a word, trotted after the bus, in the direction we had come from. Hunnybear waved her arms frantically but the bus driver pretended not to see us. After a heartbeat, we followed the woman. I had no hope of catching that particular bus, as we needed to schlep the luggage about a mile before we reached the area where it had stopped, but sure enough it waited there for us. We hoisted our own luggage onto the crowded bus and soon were at the Hertz rental counter, the first stop.

Even though DFW is a large airport, Hertz does not have Gold drop-off service there, perhaps because of the shared-ride discourtesy bus.. At any rate, we go to the counter and rent the car there. The car is parked about a mile away, at the very end of the parking lot. It is a dirty white Mercury Mystique, which I think is very similar to a Ford Contour. No upgrade. Two Hertz cars in a row that they rent to me dirty. There is a used Kleenex in the back seat. I make a mental note to switch back to Avis as soon as they get GPS.

The Neverlost system doesn’t know about the Westin Park Central hotel, so I have the option of finding the confirmation and entering the address. But I happen to remember that the Westin Park Central used to be known as the Sheraton Park Central until they built a new Sheraton Park Central next door. So I figure if I set the navigator for the Sheraton I’ll be in good shape, and sure enough it takes me to the Westin.

I drive up to the Westin and am greeted by two valets who look and sound like they are from Africa. I explain to one of them that I’m just checking in and then I’ll take the car. She nods her head and asks for my name. I spell it twice. As I pull my luggage out of the trunk, I hear her voice with that bouncy accent.

“You be lodgin’?”

“Excuse me?”

“You be lodgin’?”

“Oh. Yes. I’m lodging.” I figure out what she’s asking and smile at the unusual idiom. “Where are you from?” I ask her.

“Africa.”

Check-in is smooth and I hear my favorite words: “Can I upgrade you to a mini-suite today, Mr. Lion?” “Oh, yes, thank you.” I get a nice large room on the 12th floor. The hotel is in a North Dallas industrial park, not an ideal location, but at $69 the price is right. I discover that the reason the rate is so low is that they are repairing their swimming pool this week. Not a problem for me as I don’t have any plans to swim with all the running around I’m doing this weekend. Parking is $12 for valet or $5 for self. I opt for self, but when I go back out I find that the valets have ignored my request and parked the car anyway. So they get it back.

After I check in, I meet my business contact for dinner and, at the recommendation of the concierge, we point the Neverlost at a steakhouse called “Chamberlain’s.” They recommend the porterhouse and now so do I! They smoke it first and then grill it—yum! Shannon, our waitress, was delightful I always try to order chocolate cake á la mode for dessert, but the trend is to serve this flourless liquid-center cake-like thing instead of good old layer cake. It’s good, but I’m a traditionalist in some things.

The next night’s stay is at the Sheraton Grand at DFW. This hotel is undergoing unobtrusive gradual renovation. It has a nice pool that is half indoors and half outdoors. When I check in, they tell me I’m on the Butler Level, so I should stick my cardkey in the slot in the elevator where it says Butler Level and then press the 11th floor. I ask if the butler can’t just accompany me into the elevator and press the button for me. They think that is very funny. Apparently there is no actual butler any more if there ever was one, but I do get two bottles of water in the room and complimentary muffins and other carbo bombs in the morning that I can’t eat. The room is nice if typical, and I am disappointed I didn’t get an airport view but I don’t try to change it. AAA rate here is $112.

My friend Danny and his beautiful girlfriend meet me and we take in a Rangers-Red Sox game at The Ballpark at Arlington, a simply beautiful ballpark. The best seats available are up in the top level looking down the left field foul line—pretty good seats. The Rangers and Aaron Sele make short order of the Sox, Sele’s former team, and we decide to head to the Omni in Irving for a post-game drink. The lobby bar in the Omni is beautiful, with a live piano player. Danny says he’ll give me a dollar if I’ll go up to the front desk in my finest hick voice and ask loudly, “How much duz it cahst tuh stay heah?” I say OK, but he doesn’t cough up the dollar, so I don’t go.

Next: All good things must return to Seattle.

Rudi

QuietLion

Outrageous!

The Neverlost system, taking me from Arlington to the airport Sheraton, directed me to take the road that actually runs 10 miles through the airport. (Earlier, we had passed a street called "Lovers Lane." Hunnybear said, "Every street is Lovers Lane when I'm with you!") Eventually I reached a ticket booth with a complicated sign revealing the parking rates:

I had no idea whether the Sheraton was inside the toll plaza boundaries or outside. The Hyatt is apparently inside. Anyway, the Sheraton was outside and as I approached the North toll plaza I saw a taxi parkked by the side of the road. I kind of knew what was going to happen, and it did. They dinged me with a $2 "cut through the airport" fee. I told the guy I was just going to the hotel, and he said "5 minutes, $2." I said I thought that was outrageous---a word I would be using a lot in the next 24 hours---and he handed me a little yellow square of paper that said:

So I called the number and got voicemail. I left a message leaving my name and number and saying never mind about the $2, but the whole experience is outrageous and left a black eye on the lovely cities of Dallas and Ft. Worth.

The next morning when I went to return the car, I left an hour before the flight and decided to fill up with gas. Neverlost told me the nearest gas station was a Texaco inside the airport. So I set the controls and it took me to...the toll plaza! I didn't want to get tooken again, so I said, "I would like to buy gas, then return this car, and I don't want to pay $2." She gave me directions...basically a U turn with the gas station in the middle...and assured me that unless I went in one end and out the other there would be no charge. So I filled up with the most expensive gas in the state of Texas (still $.25/gal. cheaper than in Seattle) and followed the signs to Hertz, since the Neverlost was not up to date with the recent traffic changes at DFW.

The car return service was excellent. The agent asked if there was anything wrong with the car and I told him it was dirty when I rented it and the Neverlost system was out of date. He apologized and said they were installing new systems in the cars. A leathery Texas cowgirl hoisted my baggage out of the trunk and gave me directions (through the air-conditioned lobby!) to the shuttle. I was the only passenger in the shuttle, and after about five minutes we left.

I remembered that at DFW you can't just say you're going to American---they have flights at all three terminals. So I called American's amazing voice-recognition system and asked it what gate my flight was leaving from: A20. I love that thing. We get to the stop for A20 in about 10 minutes and I take the escalator up to the check-in counter. There are four agents staffing the First-Class counter and no line! So rather than go around the ropes and over the red carpet, I wheel directly up to the first agent. She's having a conversation with the second agent and apparently cannot be disturbed even after I say "hello." So I go to past them to the third and fourth agents and say "hello" again. The fourth agent smiles and greets me. "I had to go past three agents before someone looked at me," I said. She said nothing.

I told her I was going to Seattle and handed her my drivers license. She printed out the boarding plass quickly and pleasantly and even asked if I wanted a ticket receipt. I said I didn't know what it was but if she thought I needed one I'd better get one. She said some travelers want them for expense reports and it's a lot easier to get one here than to call Tulsa. Well, I sure didn't want to call Tulsa, so I got one. upon request, she pointed me to gate A20 and I was off.

The flight was already boarding when I got there. This MS-80 had only 14 seats in First Class, all full. I once again got 3E, my favorite seat. The gentleman next to me was AA Executive Platinum and had nothing but compplaints about the airline's poor service and apathy. While the service in the flight down had been passable, this one was laughable.

One reason I like widebody service, which American has precious little of, if that you get your coat hung and a drink right away. On these planes it's virtually impossible for the stewardesses to make headway through the river of boarding passengers to do anything until all have boarded. That took about 10 minutes, and then I got my coat hung up and a cup of coffee.

All that was pretty standard. but when the in-flight service started I was just stunned. A four-hour flight, leaving at 9:22 a.m., had a "light breakfast" service. In coach, this was a bagel. In First, where I was, the stewardess came over and asked if I wanted Crispix or yogurt. Neither for me, I said, expecting her to then take my breakfast order.

That was it.

On a four-hour flight, American Airlines calls a choice of a bowl of Crispix and a four-ounce container of yogurt "First Class." Absolutely outrageous. I said, "That's it for a four-hour flight?" She said she didn't make the schedule. I turned to the guy next to me and said "I heard she mad the schedule, didn't you?" He agreed. "We heard you made the schedule," I told her with a wink.

She was reluctant to take no for an answer and asked, "Aren't you hungry?" I explained to her that yes, I was hungry, and I was on a low-carb diet and lactose intolerant, and that for breakfast I prefer eggs, meat, chicken, or something with protein in it. She said that she did too. "Black coffee," I said. She brought me coffee...in a plastic mug.

After the coffee I switched to water. When I wanted a refill she didn't come by for a few minutes and was up in the jumpseat reading a magazine, so I brought my glass up and started looking around the galley for water. After longer than I thought would be necessary, she asked if I wanted something. No, I make a hobby of studying galley layouts in planes built by companies that are no longer in business. "More water, please," I asked.

Apparrently they only board one bottle of Evian for 14 passsengers on a four-hour flight, so they ran out less than halfway to Seattle. I switched to Canada Dry Club Soda with lime. She forgot the lime. The rest of the flight the employees pretty much hung around the galley chatting with each other and ignored the passengers.

Needless to say, my experience with American was a big thumbs down. The lack of video or even audio, poor attitude among many employees, fleet of uncomfortable planes and web site that seems to be down every night make American a non-starter for me.

[This message has been edited by QuietLion (edited 08-23-1999).]

Hammertoad

Gee, Mr. Lion, that all sounds like pretty standard service to me. Wonder what I've been missing since giving UA the deep-six?!

Akshully, the only wide-body service I ever get is when going international. As my destination is normally only a connecting flight away, no beeg planes for me.

Just hop on that TWE flight STL-ALO some time and you'll be thankful for that cuppa joe. Or anything!

Cheers,

'toad

bokich

I normally don't read all these trip reports, but I thought I'd check out what the competing "customer" had to say.

I'm impressed; excellent, entertaining writing.

shadow

great report, QL...lots of good info.

RichG

QL: American also decided that they would call a paper bag containing a usually inedible sandwich and a cookie a "Bistro". French tourists leaving DFW must be very confused.

QuietLion

RichG, they were stocking the "Bistro" bags for the next flight as we deplaned... I almost took one, then said "what am I thinking???" I went to Red Robin again.

Thanks for the kind words...

Epilogue

Baggage claim in Seattle took about 20 minutes. Bags from three flights all arrived at the same time. The baggage claim area was peppered with cruise ship agents directing blue-haired ladies and men with canes and walkers. I wheeled my bags to the courtesy pickup and called MasterPark. In about five minutes they arrived, ported my bags into the van, drove me right to the lot, and put my bags in the trunk of my car, which was waiting with the door and trunk open. I get 50 Alaska miles per day and the coupon gives me 20% off. It turned out I needed to park for 4 days to get the free day, and I say I should have saved it, but she just gives me another coupon! Great service. Aside from the time spent with Hunnybear and my friends, discovering Masterpark was the highlight of the trip.