Return LAX-DEn-ABQ -- Chaos at LAX
Nov 29, 1999 | 3:48 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York
Posts: 7,984
Return LAX-DEn-ABQ -- Chaos at LAX
Hi Everyone,
I survived the Thanksgiving Rush yesterday at LAX and got back to Albuquerque safely. I took another set of United's flight via Denver.
November 28, 1999, Sunday
LAX to DEN
UA 370 Boeing 747-400 N188UA(8488)
Check-in was relatively easy on the Premier line. Even the Y class line looks fairly not busy. There is no line on the curbside. I checked in at 10:30am and traffic was pretty bad, but I was surprise on the relatively quiet activities on Terminal 7/8. I was checked-in quickly with no wait. United opened nearly every counter and I was waved by an agent working at the First class line. The gate agent was okay not particularly friendly but got the job done efficiently and found my connecting gate information. My two bags were tagged with the red priority tag due to the C-class sitting on my first segment. The efficiency at the check-in lobby and the lack of crowd at the security area fooled me.
Once pass the security, there were people everywhere at terminal 7. I was boarding at Gate 76 today, which was all the way to the end of the terminal. Only those gates could handle these jumbo jets. There were two other Boeing 747s at gate 74 and 77. That little area was filled with passengers. Fortunately, the Boeing 747-200 parked at Gate 77 started boarding when I got there. However, UA 1 heading to Hong Kong was full today and there was no seating space at all. I barely found a spot near the gate counters of 76. I waited for fifteen minutes or more and saw the crews boarding the plane. The flight did not begin to board until 11:05am, and there were tons of passengers with no boarding pass. They overbooked the flight, and then four F/As checked-in. The gate agents had to accommodate them because they were heading off to an assignment. The line was bizarre. The boarding was slow because United decided to use only the front door to board passengers. On both SFO and DEN, the agents use both doors to board the plane. The boarding at LAX was more chaotic, despite Gate B was attached to a jetway and a F/A was ready to see passengers heading in. Finally, I managed to follow the pre-boarding crowd, and settled down to the upper deck of this Boeing 747-400. I was seated at 17A today.
The F/As, despite of the nighmare at the gate area, seemed to be in a happy mood. They were ready to work this crowd. A pre-takeoff drink of your choice was offered (Usually only OJ, champagne {sparkling wine} and water for C class). Anyway, the F/A possibly knew that it would be a long wait on the ground. About ten minutes before door closed, another group of passenger came to the upper deck. They were all upgraded last minute and all were glad to board the plane. They did another head count and made sure that they did not have any empty seat. Our flight was all set to go at 11:47am (fifteen minutes before schedule). Even the cargo doors of UA 1 with 11:55am departure closed their doors by the time our door closed. We waited for another seven minutes due to congestion at LAX. No surprise! The taxi was extraordinarily long due to congestion at taxiways and runways. Our flight finally took off at 12:16pm.
Our flight time today was one hour and forty-one minutes. There was a choice of hot and cold lunch for F class, a cold lunch for C class, and a snack box for Y class today. The captain did not turn on Channel 14 (for B744) today and the F/A made an announcement because many passengers were trying to listen. The F/As rolled off the beverage cart shortly after captain turned off the seat belt signs. There were three F/As on the upper deck. The table was quickly set up, and we were served a cold lunch. I was disappointed because I was expecting the usual hot meal service. The lunch consisted of a fruit appetizer, a sandwich stuffed with cheese, salami, ham, and turkey, a cole slaw, and there was a mud pie cheesecake dessert. The meal was similar to the snack service I had a couple weeks ago. I was disappointed with the lunch. My flight from DEN to LAX was simply too perfect. I had a glass of white wine and watched the video for the rest of my flight. Ten channels were available today in flight, and Y class has the usual short video subjects available. The Airshow is still not fixed. The F/A constantly came around with drinks, but they started their landing preparations early on today due to low clouds at Denver area. A hot towel was served at 1:40pm. I was surprised because I though United cancelled its C class hot towel service. Anyway, the flight landed at 2:57pm Denver time and the touch down was very nice.
This flight was rated a 5 because of the cold lunch and the chaos at LAX. United could have used Door B, especially for this kind of travel season. UA used door B for its international flights. Why not use it for Y class? The cold lunch was not proper and I was expecting a hot lunch.
We parked at Gate 30 and 32 today and I had thirty minutes to walk to Gate 53 for my flight to Albuquerque.
UA 1965
Denver to Albuquerque
Boeing 737-300 N306UA
The plane was already done with boarding when I got settled down on 1D. I was surprised to get upgraded but I guess there were not many Premier flyers at ABQ. There are many military academy students on our flight today, and two of the students got upgraded to F class. They were having tons of fun, but were very polite because they helped some elderly couple with their coats.
The plane was in fair condition and F class had the old leather seats. I checked out the F class galley again, and it was always that small and tiny. I feel bad for any F/A, who had to work on this galley. I could not imagine what would happen at meal service. Fortunately, Channel 9 was available today and the F/A offered a full range of pre-takeoff drinks as usual. The F/A was one of the most polite ones I had seen on United for long time. He served us drinks and kept on asking us about refills. He even told us that he would head to Y class for 15 minutes to help out and asked us if we needed anything. I gave him a service excellent award today, and he definitely deserved it.
Our flight pulled back at 3:33pm and we took off at 3:43pm. We flew at 31,000 ft today and our flying time was only fifty-three minutes today. A full beverage was served and the flight ran by so quickly. We landed thirteen minutes ahead of time, and the condition at ABQ was not bad at all. A bass orchestra was playing Christmas songs on the escalator area. It was another nice thing to do. This flight was definitely a 10, with smooth boarding, nice F/A, on time departure, early arrival, and my priority bags were among the first ten bags that came out from the belt. The wait was short, compared to the night flights. Also, my bags made it to ABQ with me
That is my Thanksgiving trip. Happy Thanksgiving!
Carfield
I survived the Thanksgiving Rush yesterday at LAX and got back to Albuquerque safely. I took another set of United's flight via Denver.
November 28, 1999, Sunday
LAX to DEN
UA 370 Boeing 747-400 N188UA(8488)
Check-in was relatively easy on the Premier line. Even the Y class line looks fairly not busy. There is no line on the curbside. I checked in at 10:30am and traffic was pretty bad, but I was surprise on the relatively quiet activities on Terminal 7/8. I was checked-in quickly with no wait. United opened nearly every counter and I was waved by an agent working at the First class line. The gate agent was okay not particularly friendly but got the job done efficiently and found my connecting gate information. My two bags were tagged with the red priority tag due to the C-class sitting on my first segment. The efficiency at the check-in lobby and the lack of crowd at the security area fooled me.
Once pass the security, there were people everywhere at terminal 7. I was boarding at Gate 76 today, which was all the way to the end of the terminal. Only those gates could handle these jumbo jets. There were two other Boeing 747s at gate 74 and 77. That little area was filled with passengers. Fortunately, the Boeing 747-200 parked at Gate 77 started boarding when I got there. However, UA 1 heading to Hong Kong was full today and there was no seating space at all. I barely found a spot near the gate counters of 76. I waited for fifteen minutes or more and saw the crews boarding the plane. The flight did not begin to board until 11:05am, and there were tons of passengers with no boarding pass. They overbooked the flight, and then four F/As checked-in. The gate agents had to accommodate them because they were heading off to an assignment. The line was bizarre. The boarding was slow because United decided to use only the front door to board passengers. On both SFO and DEN, the agents use both doors to board the plane. The boarding at LAX was more chaotic, despite Gate B was attached to a jetway and a F/A was ready to see passengers heading in. Finally, I managed to follow the pre-boarding crowd, and settled down to the upper deck of this Boeing 747-400. I was seated at 17A today.
The F/As, despite of the nighmare at the gate area, seemed to be in a happy mood. They were ready to work this crowd. A pre-takeoff drink of your choice was offered (Usually only OJ, champagne {sparkling wine} and water for C class). Anyway, the F/A possibly knew that it would be a long wait on the ground. About ten minutes before door closed, another group of passenger came to the upper deck. They were all upgraded last minute and all were glad to board the plane. They did another head count and made sure that they did not have any empty seat. Our flight was all set to go at 11:47am (fifteen minutes before schedule). Even the cargo doors of UA 1 with 11:55am departure closed their doors by the time our door closed. We waited for another seven minutes due to congestion at LAX. No surprise! The taxi was extraordinarily long due to congestion at taxiways and runways. Our flight finally took off at 12:16pm.
Our flight time today was one hour and forty-one minutes. There was a choice of hot and cold lunch for F class, a cold lunch for C class, and a snack box for Y class today. The captain did not turn on Channel 14 (for B744) today and the F/A made an announcement because many passengers were trying to listen. The F/As rolled off the beverage cart shortly after captain turned off the seat belt signs. There were three F/As on the upper deck. The table was quickly set up, and we were served a cold lunch. I was disappointed because I was expecting the usual hot meal service. The lunch consisted of a fruit appetizer, a sandwich stuffed with cheese, salami, ham, and turkey, a cole slaw, and there was a mud pie cheesecake dessert. The meal was similar to the snack service I had a couple weeks ago. I was disappointed with the lunch. My flight from DEN to LAX was simply too perfect. I had a glass of white wine and watched the video for the rest of my flight. Ten channels were available today in flight, and Y class has the usual short video subjects available. The Airshow is still not fixed. The F/A constantly came around with drinks, but they started their landing preparations early on today due to low clouds at Denver area. A hot towel was served at 1:40pm. I was surprised because I though United cancelled its C class hot towel service. Anyway, the flight landed at 2:57pm Denver time and the touch down was very nice.
This flight was rated a 5 because of the cold lunch and the chaos at LAX. United could have used Door B, especially for this kind of travel season. UA used door B for its international flights. Why not use it for Y class? The cold lunch was not proper and I was expecting a hot lunch.
We parked at Gate 30 and 32 today and I had thirty minutes to walk to Gate 53 for my flight to Albuquerque.
UA 1965
Denver to Albuquerque
Boeing 737-300 N306UA
The plane was already done with boarding when I got settled down on 1D. I was surprised to get upgraded but I guess there were not many Premier flyers at ABQ. There are many military academy students on our flight today, and two of the students got upgraded to F class. They were having tons of fun, but were very polite because they helped some elderly couple with their coats.
The plane was in fair condition and F class had the old leather seats. I checked out the F class galley again, and it was always that small and tiny. I feel bad for any F/A, who had to work on this galley. I could not imagine what would happen at meal service. Fortunately, Channel 9 was available today and the F/A offered a full range of pre-takeoff drinks as usual. The F/A was one of the most polite ones I had seen on United for long time. He served us drinks and kept on asking us about refills. He even told us that he would head to Y class for 15 minutes to help out and asked us if we needed anything. I gave him a service excellent award today, and he definitely deserved it.
Our flight pulled back at 3:33pm and we took off at 3:43pm. We flew at 31,000 ft today and our flying time was only fifty-three minutes today. A full beverage was served and the flight ran by so quickly. We landed thirteen minutes ahead of time, and the condition at ABQ was not bad at all. A bass orchestra was playing Christmas songs on the escalator area. It was another nice thing to do. This flight was definitely a 10, with smooth boarding, nice F/A, on time departure, early arrival, and my priority bags were among the first ten bags that came out from the belt. The wait was short, compared to the night flights. Also, my bags made it to ABQ with me
That is my Thanksgiving trip. Happy Thanksgiving!
Carfield
