DCA-MIA-SCL-EZE-MIA-DCA on AA/LA
Apr 3, 2000 | 1:04 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: This year we're going to the BAFTAs!
Posts: 5,518
DCA-MIA-SCL-EZE-MIA-DCA on AA/LA
Overdue trip report, but I suppose I was just waiting for the right moment to procrastinate. Here goes:
Itinerary:
03/17 DCA-MIA on AA
MIA-SCL on LA
SCL-EZE on LA
03/28 EZE-MIA on AA
MIA-DCA on AA
FWIW, trip was "paid for" using only MCI miles. That was a pretty sweet feeling, especially given how much of a pain MCI can be at times.
03/17. Checking in at DCA is pretty busy today, as Spring break begins in the area. Pretty much all flights to MIA are overbooked. Although I do volunteer to give up my seat, there are enough no shows on the 16h53 flight so that my "services" are not needed. The flight to MIA is pretty uneventful. There is a quick drink/snack service after which the FA disappear for a while. Then again, on a short flight I don't expect much I suppose.
I arrive in MIA with only about 45 minutes to go before my Lan Chile flights. I check in to get a boarding pass for my SCL-EZE flight. Although my luggage had been tagged through to EZE, the agent fills out a seemingly complicated form to ensure transfer of my suitcase. This flight too is full, but we complete boarding on schedule.
On these routes LA is using some very recent 767-300. As far as Y goes, these are pretty comfortable, and I have a window seat on a 2-5-2 setup. The service is quite good, and the meals in particular are excellent, all served (dinner and breakfast) on real dishes with nice silverware. Beats by far the breakfasts I've received on flights to Europe with NW, which are thrown on a flimsy cardboard plate.
We arrive on schedule at SCL, and after an hour we board the plane to EZE. Again boarding proceeds smoothly and we leave on time. We arrive an hour late - however this is due to the fact that 2 days before Argentina was set to set the time an hour back, they decided they would no longer bother changing time twice a year. Luckily the person picking me up had figured this out.
I'll skip details for now but I will say that I found Buenos Aires to be a great city. The weather (late summer, early Fall) was just gorgeous, and there was much to do and see. This was my first trip south of Cuba, and I had a great time. Highly recommended destination, FWIW.
03/28. Sadly I have to go back. At check-in we have to go through the security check, where the agent tells me she needs to ask me "some sensible security questions." Why not indeed, after alll who wants to answer idiotic security questions anyway?
I soon find myself waiting to board (shopping options are pretty poor where we're boarding). We're waiting in a fairly large room, but when it is time to board, rather than make an announcement someone opens the door leading to the plane and says to the people who are standing around there that we'll be boarding F/C first. What happens next is that the other 150 people who are sitting and standing elsewhere, and did not hear this, see people boarding, and there is a mad rush for the door. Had I been sitting in F/C, I might have cared.
In any case we leave on time and the flight is fine. Unfortunately I have an aisle seat this time and can't get much sleep. At least they keep the movies/TV shows coming, so I am somewhat distracted. The service is ok (it was better on LA) but the breakfast in particular is poor. I end up breaking a plastic fork trying to consume what has the appearance of a croissant but the texture of a brick.
After some ill advised beverages in the DC lounge in MIA, I board my flight to DCA. [For those who might care, Sen. John Breaux (D-Lousiana) is on the plane, and after introducing myself once in DCA he turns out to be quite a friendly fellow.]
We arrive at DCA on time, and I'll skip the rest.
Itinerary:
03/17 DCA-MIA on AA
MIA-SCL on LA
SCL-EZE on LA
03/28 EZE-MIA on AA
MIA-DCA on AA
FWIW, trip was "paid for" using only MCI miles. That was a pretty sweet feeling, especially given how much of a pain MCI can be at times.
03/17. Checking in at DCA is pretty busy today, as Spring break begins in the area. Pretty much all flights to MIA are overbooked. Although I do volunteer to give up my seat, there are enough no shows on the 16h53 flight so that my "services" are not needed. The flight to MIA is pretty uneventful. There is a quick drink/snack service after which the FA disappear for a while. Then again, on a short flight I don't expect much I suppose.
I arrive in MIA with only about 45 minutes to go before my Lan Chile flights. I check in to get a boarding pass for my SCL-EZE flight. Although my luggage had been tagged through to EZE, the agent fills out a seemingly complicated form to ensure transfer of my suitcase. This flight too is full, but we complete boarding on schedule.
On these routes LA is using some very recent 767-300. As far as Y goes, these are pretty comfortable, and I have a window seat on a 2-5-2 setup. The service is quite good, and the meals in particular are excellent, all served (dinner and breakfast) on real dishes with nice silverware. Beats by far the breakfasts I've received on flights to Europe with NW, which are thrown on a flimsy cardboard plate.
We arrive on schedule at SCL, and after an hour we board the plane to EZE. Again boarding proceeds smoothly and we leave on time. We arrive an hour late - however this is due to the fact that 2 days before Argentina was set to set the time an hour back, they decided they would no longer bother changing time twice a year. Luckily the person picking me up had figured this out.
I'll skip details for now but I will say that I found Buenos Aires to be a great city. The weather (late summer, early Fall) was just gorgeous, and there was much to do and see. This was my first trip south of Cuba, and I had a great time. Highly recommended destination, FWIW.
03/28. Sadly I have to go back. At check-in we have to go through the security check, where the agent tells me she needs to ask me "some sensible security questions." Why not indeed, after alll who wants to answer idiotic security questions anyway?
I soon find myself waiting to board (shopping options are pretty poor where we're boarding). We're waiting in a fairly large room, but when it is time to board, rather than make an announcement someone opens the door leading to the plane and says to the people who are standing around there that we'll be boarding F/C first. What happens next is that the other 150 people who are sitting and standing elsewhere, and did not hear this, see people boarding, and there is a mad rush for the door. Had I been sitting in F/C, I might have cared.
In any case we leave on time and the flight is fine. Unfortunately I have an aisle seat this time and can't get much sleep. At least they keep the movies/TV shows coming, so I am somewhat distracted. The service is ok (it was better on LA) but the breakfast in particular is poor. I end up breaking a plastic fork trying to consume what has the appearance of a croissant but the texture of a brick.
After some ill advised beverages in the DC lounge in MIA, I board my flight to DCA. [For those who might care, Sen. John Breaux (D-Lousiana) is on the plane, and after introducing myself once in DCA he turns out to be quite a friendly fellow.]
We arrive at DCA on time, and I'll skip the rest.
