YVR-LAX-YVR on CP
Mar 5, 2000 | 5:39 pm
#1
Original Poster
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB PLT again afater a decade as plebian
Posts: 22,942
YVR-LAX-YVR on CP
This trip report would be pretty mundane but I am sure it will be one of the last on CP before it disappears into the maw of MapleFlot aka Air Canada
D-14
Book my ticket from an internet terminal in HK on the cdnair.ca site. Use itn.net to get the best fare. It isn't great at just under C$400. Think I asked for an electronic ticket (the options are e-mail e-ticket, fax e-ticket, or free courier delivery as I am a gold member). Get a courier ticket.
D-3 Call CP Tokyo office for upgrades. Am told there are none.
24 Feb. CP 535 YVR 1700 LAX 1952 737-200
Arrive at YVR at 1500 (blessed by short waits for buses as I get there by public transit). Check in at a fairly empty line. Ask to be waitlisted for upgrade (ITN shows J sold out for CP and F sold out on the AA code share). Ask for a forward seat than 14D. Moved to a row 10 seat.
Pass effortlessly through US immigration and customs (note that US Customer is now using the left door rather than the right door which they've used since 1995).
Go to the US Empress Lounge instead of the adjacent MapleFlot Lounge. No changes here. Expect it to be an AAdmirals' Club soon possibly with AS joint Boardroom.
Lost my watch so get to the gate at 1640. Go up to gate agent who expect me to be Mr. Liow. I told her I was in the Lounge and she told me that's where she expects me to have been. Give her my expiring systemwide sticker and get seat 1D. Not the best but better than the back guess.
Seated next to an Australian on his way back to Australia. Some Canadians also going to Australia via QF. I wonder if the YVR-HNL-SYD route is booked or simply not preferred? Flight leaves on time or shortly after. Seatmate doesn't know how to use inflight phone so I help him. Hope he isn't paying for the calls as he calls Canadian colleagues and family in Australia.
Usual service. Food, a light lunch, turns out to be hot salmon or chicken with rice and veg. Everything is overcooked.with the rice hard and stuck to the bottom of the dish. There's a salad (can't remember if it was a fruit or veg one) and a box of Lindt chocolate. 2 white and 2 red wines are offered. Aust-bound paxs behind me ask for champagne after takeoff.
Flight deck makes few announcements other than prior to takeoff and before landing. Announce flight time of 2:12 due to good tailwinds. Flight lands at around 1920-1930 and gets to gate at terminal 3 (CP used to be in terminal 4 with AA). No luggage so I am off.
1 March CP 502 LAX 1112 YVR 1405 737-200
Call 3 days prior to flight. Am told that due to new rules (set by AC), I cannot confirm an upgrade on my fare (N) in contravention of the upgrade sticker pack rules.
Get to airport at 0940 where a friend is waiting for me. Told the flight is pretty full and have to stay in 11B. Get on upgrade list.
Go through security passing those "nurses" asking for donations. Is this a legit charity? I saw one getting into a van on the departures level on the night I got into LAX.
Find way up to the TW Ambassadors Club/lounge which is also for AS's use (TW seems to have few flights out of here compared to AS & CP). Food offering seems to be good. There is pre-poured juice, coffee and tea, with choice of cream or Carnation flavourers, muffins and danish pastries. Bar is closed. The lounge overlooks the north runways.
From here, I see the incoming flight which has been painted with a MapleFlot tail. Plane is due in at 1040 but gets in at 0950. Becomes the flying dutchmen for some 20-25 minutes while it waits for an AA M-80 (possibly ex-QQ) to clear gate 33. Also see the 737 for CP 500 which is leaving late towed to gate.
Go down at 1040 to check on my upgrade. AA agents take my ticket and stickers telling me there is a good chance. Agents do some upgrades and I am the 2nd or 3rd they do. Get seat 3D in exchange for 2 500 mle stickers - 11th upgrade out of 11 flights YVR-California v-v, 16 out of 16 if you include YVR-RNO or v-v. Board a/c by which time papers have all been swiped by the economy pax. They put a trolley with magazines and papers on the jetway at both YVR and LAX.
Inflight service is the same good level. A/c is equipped with above-aisle tv monitors so FAs distribute headsets and after takeoff, move the C/Y curtain out of the way to give pax a clear view of the screen. Was tempted to take one of the nut dishes as a momento but desisted. The lunch served is much better. It's a big bed of salad with BBQ'd chicken and an apple slice filled with some cheese(?), accompanied by a bowl of fruit salad and 2 chocolates for after dinner. Food seems to be better from the US kitchens than the YVR one. The back only gets a sandwich snack in a basket. CP really has had to downgrade food there. Wonder if AS in the back is any better?
Seated next to an old pax who is returning from a long home visit to Chile. Tells me how to make dulce de leche which was my prize haul from a latino market in LA.
Flight deck make usual announcements. Flies up the central/west spine of the sierras so get a good view of Yosemite and Tahoe. Despite a slightly late departure, flight arrives ontime at 1405. A/c heads for the distant gate (50) and a/c makes a *very* abrupt stop which the flight deck apologises for, announcing it was on ground crew's instruction. No other incoming flights so clearance is fast and I am off to the bus.
D-14
Book my ticket from an internet terminal in HK on the cdnair.ca site. Use itn.net to get the best fare. It isn't great at just under C$400. Think I asked for an electronic ticket (the options are e-mail e-ticket, fax e-ticket, or free courier delivery as I am a gold member). Get a courier ticket.
D-3 Call CP Tokyo office for upgrades. Am told there are none.
24 Feb. CP 535 YVR 1700 LAX 1952 737-200
Arrive at YVR at 1500 (blessed by short waits for buses as I get there by public transit). Check in at a fairly empty line. Ask to be waitlisted for upgrade (ITN shows J sold out for CP and F sold out on the AA code share). Ask for a forward seat than 14D. Moved to a row 10 seat.
Pass effortlessly through US immigration and customs (note that US Customer is now using the left door rather than the right door which they've used since 1995).
Go to the US Empress Lounge instead of the adjacent MapleFlot Lounge. No changes here. Expect it to be an AAdmirals' Club soon possibly with AS joint Boardroom.
Lost my watch so get to the gate at 1640. Go up to gate agent who expect me to be Mr. Liow. I told her I was in the Lounge and she told me that's where she expects me to have been. Give her my expiring systemwide sticker and get seat 1D. Not the best but better than the back guess.
Seated next to an Australian on his way back to Australia. Some Canadians also going to Australia via QF. I wonder if the YVR-HNL-SYD route is booked or simply not preferred? Flight leaves on time or shortly after. Seatmate doesn't know how to use inflight phone so I help him. Hope he isn't paying for the calls as he calls Canadian colleagues and family in Australia.
Usual service. Food, a light lunch, turns out to be hot salmon or chicken with rice and veg. Everything is overcooked.with the rice hard and stuck to the bottom of the dish. There's a salad (can't remember if it was a fruit or veg one) and a box of Lindt chocolate. 2 white and 2 red wines are offered. Aust-bound paxs behind me ask for champagne after takeoff.
Flight deck makes few announcements other than prior to takeoff and before landing. Announce flight time of 2:12 due to good tailwinds. Flight lands at around 1920-1930 and gets to gate at terminal 3 (CP used to be in terminal 4 with AA). No luggage so I am off.
1 March CP 502 LAX 1112 YVR 1405 737-200
Call 3 days prior to flight. Am told that due to new rules (set by AC), I cannot confirm an upgrade on my fare (N) in contravention of the upgrade sticker pack rules.
Get to airport at 0940 where a friend is waiting for me. Told the flight is pretty full and have to stay in 11B. Get on upgrade list.
Go through security passing those "nurses" asking for donations. Is this a legit charity? I saw one getting into a van on the departures level on the night I got into LAX.
Find way up to the TW Ambassadors Club/lounge which is also for AS's use (TW seems to have few flights out of here compared to AS & CP). Food offering seems to be good. There is pre-poured juice, coffee and tea, with choice of cream or Carnation flavourers, muffins and danish pastries. Bar is closed. The lounge overlooks the north runways.
From here, I see the incoming flight which has been painted with a MapleFlot tail. Plane is due in at 1040 but gets in at 0950. Becomes the flying dutchmen for some 20-25 minutes while it waits for an AA M-80 (possibly ex-QQ) to clear gate 33. Also see the 737 for CP 500 which is leaving late towed to gate.
Go down at 1040 to check on my upgrade. AA agents take my ticket and stickers telling me there is a good chance. Agents do some upgrades and I am the 2nd or 3rd they do. Get seat 3D in exchange for 2 500 mle stickers - 11th upgrade out of 11 flights YVR-California v-v, 16 out of 16 if you include YVR-RNO or v-v. Board a/c by which time papers have all been swiped by the economy pax. They put a trolley with magazines and papers on the jetway at both YVR and LAX.
Inflight service is the same good level. A/c is equipped with above-aisle tv monitors so FAs distribute headsets and after takeoff, move the C/Y curtain out of the way to give pax a clear view of the screen. Was tempted to take one of the nut dishes as a momento but desisted. The lunch served is much better. It's a big bed of salad with BBQ'd chicken and an apple slice filled with some cheese(?), accompanied by a bowl of fruit salad and 2 chocolates for after dinner. Food seems to be better from the US kitchens than the YVR one. The back only gets a sandwich snack in a basket. CP really has had to downgrade food there. Wonder if AS in the back is any better?
Seated next to an old pax who is returning from a long home visit to Chile. Tells me how to make dulce de leche which was my prize haul from a latino market in LA.
Flight deck make usual announcements. Flies up the central/west spine of the sierras so get a good view of Yosemite and Tahoe. Despite a slightly late departure, flight arrives ontime at 1405. A/c heads for the distant gate (50) and a/c makes a *very* abrupt stop which the flight deck apologises for, announcing it was on ground crew's instruction. No other incoming flights so clearance is fast and I am off to the bus.
Mar 6, 2000 | 1:37 pm
#2
Company Representative - Air Canada
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Canada
Posts: 24,224
Glad you got your upgrade on return...
It's a different story once you use up all the old stickers.
FYI, I am 70 for 70 on upgrades last year and 19 for 19 so far this year. Don't know how long this will keep up. Probably as long as I have old UPG stickers left.
It's a different story once you use up all the old stickers.
FYI, I am 70 for 70 on upgrades last year and 19 for 19 so far this year. Don't know how long this will keep up. Probably as long as I have old UPG stickers left.
