ATL-PTY on AA, Marriott Panama
Feb 11, 2000, 4:56 pm
#1
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 2,581
ATL-PTY on AA, Marriott Panama
A quick trip to Panama City to discuss business with our affiliate there. DL has a ridiculous schedule that makes you spend 2 nights to do business, so we connect on AA.
ATL-MIA on Wednesday AM
I call ahead and my upgrade clears to MIA with electronic stickers. My partner is ExPlat and used a certificate all the way through--right before expiry (2/29).
We are loaded 10 mins before flight time (808a) but sit for another 20 minutes--no real explanation. Bistro bag for coach, cold plate w/choice of yogurt or Special K for f/c. Two empty seats in f/c on the 727. Very uneventful flight--we arrive about 10 mins late. My partner smokes, so we had to traipse up to the A-club so he could have a smoke. This is a short connection (only 50 mins) so the 10 min delay cuts into his smoke time...we rush back out to the plane on the tram, then all the way to the remote terminal, then downstairs...I have to buy a tourist card, so have to get into line to do that. We're virtually the last people to board, he in f/c, I in coach.
2 1/2 hours, no time change, serve lunch with choice of beef, salmon or chicken. Open bar, pretty friendly service. Flight quite empty in coach--several empty rows on the 727. Arrive right on time into deserted PTY--they have some odd waves of flights in Central America.
Through immigration and customs--I hit the button and got red
, but when I responded "ropa" to the question of what was in my hanging bag, I got waved through.
Off in a taxi to the Marriott. Marriott is completely conventional hotel--would fit in just like any other Marriott anywhere. Actually rather boring, but walking distance from our office there (the Bristol is really great and was the place of choice before the Marriott opened).
Excellent dinner at the "Siete Mares" restaurant--seafood.
Back to the airport at 1 pm on Thursday--essentially the reverse of the other flight. We stand in the 1c line (I'm also gold, so I can) and a very nice concierge-type lady comes up and offers to fetch our airport tax stickers. My partner located that morning another 4 upgrade certificates expiring 3/31, so offers me one. I had already confirmed MIA-ATL, and the concierge offered to return those stickers and use the cert. An A for her.
We do some shopping (booze was incredibly cheap) and head up to the A-club, where we got the news of some layoffs here
Flight got a strange start--the f/a asked kind of grumpily "beef, chicken or pasta"--with little more fanfare than that. We'd had a big lunch, and the news took away our appetite, so I picked at pasta (which was tasteless) and my partner had some cheese.
About 3/4 hr before landing, they handed out a bottle of evian and newspapers (?)--landed right on time. Customs/immigration was teeming (thank you IPASS!) and we went out for a smoke then a snack at La Carreta. Back on another 727 for the flt to ATL--f/c completely full. Cheery flight attendant--choice of cold plate w/warm roll or chicken pizza...a few minutes late on leaving b/c of a problem with the water system.
Pretty good flights, all things considered!
ATL-MIA on Wednesday AM
I call ahead and my upgrade clears to MIA with electronic stickers. My partner is ExPlat and used a certificate all the way through--right before expiry (2/29).
We are loaded 10 mins before flight time (808a) but sit for another 20 minutes--no real explanation. Bistro bag for coach, cold plate w/choice of yogurt or Special K for f/c. Two empty seats in f/c on the 727. Very uneventful flight--we arrive about 10 mins late. My partner smokes, so we had to traipse up to the A-club so he could have a smoke. This is a short connection (only 50 mins) so the 10 min delay cuts into his smoke time...we rush back out to the plane on the tram, then all the way to the remote terminal, then downstairs...I have to buy a tourist card, so have to get into line to do that. We're virtually the last people to board, he in f/c, I in coach.
2 1/2 hours, no time change, serve lunch with choice of beef, salmon or chicken. Open bar, pretty friendly service. Flight quite empty in coach--several empty rows on the 727. Arrive right on time into deserted PTY--they have some odd waves of flights in Central America.
Through immigration and customs--I hit the button and got red
, but when I responded "ropa" to the question of what was in my hanging bag, I got waved through.Off in a taxi to the Marriott. Marriott is completely conventional hotel--would fit in just like any other Marriott anywhere. Actually rather boring, but walking distance from our office there (the Bristol is really great and was the place of choice before the Marriott opened).
Excellent dinner at the "Siete Mares" restaurant--seafood.
Back to the airport at 1 pm on Thursday--essentially the reverse of the other flight. We stand in the 1c line (I'm also gold, so I can) and a very nice concierge-type lady comes up and offers to fetch our airport tax stickers. My partner located that morning another 4 upgrade certificates expiring 3/31, so offers me one. I had already confirmed MIA-ATL, and the concierge offered to return those stickers and use the cert. An A for her.
We do some shopping (booze was incredibly cheap) and head up to the A-club, where we got the news of some layoffs here
Flight got a strange start--the f/a asked kind of grumpily "beef, chicken or pasta"--with little more fanfare than that. We'd had a big lunch, and the news took away our appetite, so I picked at pasta (which was tasteless) and my partner had some cheese.
About 3/4 hr before landing, they handed out a bottle of evian and newspapers (?)--landed right on time. Customs/immigration was teeming (thank you IPASS!) and we went out for a smoke then a snack at La Carreta. Back on another 727 for the flt to ATL--f/c completely full. Cheery flight attendant--choice of cold plate w/warm roll or chicken pizza...a few minutes late on leaving b/c of a problem with the water system.
Pretty good flights, all things considered!
