Doing it right this time! Back to STR from DCA...
Mar 5, 2001 | 9:52 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: This year we're going to the BAFTAs!
Posts: 5,518
Doing it right this time! Back to STR from DCA...
After the adventures of two weeks ago, I had (once again) determined to avoid all difficulties resulting from my errors (though of course some delays are out of my control, as I soon found out.) The SMessier scoring system is back in spite of popular demand.
Itinerary: NW 233 DCA-DTW 2A
NW 68 DTW-AMS 22A
NW 37 93 AMS-STR 11A/B
As I always do when I travel, I arrived at the airport in plenty of time, since I would hate to miss a flight or anything like that. Although the NW computers had not emailed me as promised to confirm my upgrade, I had a new FC seat on the first segment, and the efficient if not very chatty agent handed me my stack of 3 boarding passes. Last time here I had gotten into a bit of trouble with my 82-pound suitcase, but with only 2 pounds over the limit this time no extra dollars were required. I even (?) got First Class/Priority tags on both bags, a first for me on NW, and not something I was expecting. Several hours later it turned out these would do little for me, but lets not get ahead of ourselves.
At the gate I get my seat changed to a window seat (+1 point), and pre-boarding starts quite early, which gives us plenty of time for pre-departure beverages (+1 point). We push back right on schedule and are soon on our way. I suppose this flight was just under the one-hour limit for meals, and the food offered is a choice of a coach-sized bag of peanuts or pretzels. Call me spoiled by EW if you must, but since they invariably have better and more generous food on their short all-coach flights from AMS to Germany, I have no choice but to impose a 3 point penalty. I cant imagine how I would feel had I actually paid for a FC seat!
I will note in passing for cigarmans benefit that although this was a DC-9, the plane was in very good condition and no holes in the wall were seen.
We land a few minutes early, but the increasingly frequent (and annoying) there is a plane at our gate trick keeps us on the runway for a little more than 15 minutes. (-2 points). The pilot does keep us updated and apologizes, and explains that he (too) has asked why we cannot simply use any of the free gates, rather than act as though this particular aircraft is married to gate C17.
It is now 15:30 and I have a little under 2 hours to kill. Not a big deal in most places, but this is DTW. It can never be said often enough that this place sucks. In fact, the words required to describe the facility would no doubt be censored by UBB, so I wont bother. Instead, I will simply say that I headed to the gate at 16h30 for our 17h25 departure. But it is not to be. Indeed, I have arrived just in time to learn we are delayed by an hour, because of a maintenance-dictated aircraft change. The delay stretches on, as another plane must replace our intended aircraft.
Boarding begins shortly after 18h in the expected order: C, Elites, and, well after that I dont know what happened, but it seemed to happen by row number. We push back just before 19h, and it looked like we might be able to make the best of this situation. We remained in the DTW area until 20h because of paperwork issues which made our ETA the same as my (original) ETD out of AMS. Doh! I will nevertheless give the pilot +2 points for keeping us informed, but assess a 2 point penalty for what became a 2h40 minute delay. What he giveth away,
This was my first flight on a NW 744, after being subjected to countless DC-10s going to Europe. I can report that on the former the audio controls are not knobs almost glued into one position, but buttons one can press and that respond to the pressure applied. Almost unbelievable I dare say. (+1 point).
Meal service seemed to take a very long time to get started, but then again by that time I was starving, so that was probably just me. The chicken served was just ok, and the red potatoes served as a side dish must be bought in bulk by NW because they seem to show up for every meal I take on the Red Tails. (-2 points). I wish I had more to say about the service or the flight, but I fell asleep quickly and woke up right after breakfast was served. Ill add that the middle seat was kept free for my neighbor (another WP elite member) and I, one of a few free seats on this flight. Luck or design, who knows, but +2 points all the same.
Arriving in AMS the Transfer Desk near E3 is swamped (no surprise) so I head over to the C gates where the EW flights take off anyway, and use the service counter just after passport control. Speaking of which, as the immigration fellow is going through my passport he asks in a very casual manner: Did you know that the woman next to you is actually a man? Never one to miss a beat I replied Huh? He asked again, and I couldnt help but glance at this alleged she-man to my right. Not sure if he was right, but when I turned to face him he offered the following tip: You better run. I did, though not for the reason he had offered. I found the service counter and was quickly given a new boarding pass and the agent offers to block the seat next to mine (in a 2-2 single aisle ATR 72 configuration). (+1 point)
This left just enough time for an Amaretto enhanced coffee at the DC lounge before heading to the gate prior to my name being called. And people say I can never learn! [+1 point for me this time]
We ride the dreaded little bus to the plane, and leave roughly on time. The usual assortment of bread, meats and cheeses (for an airplane feast) is served by the usual dependable and friendly EW crew. (+2 points) Ill be curious to see the difference, if any, once KLM takes over these routes as is scheduled.
In STR, no fool that I am, it is with little confidence that I await the arrival of my two bags. No unexpected surprises here, they are not in the lot, but I am the first to make a break for the delayed luggage counter, where luckily no one remembers me. (For more on this please see: Paging Mr. Messier. I take care of business promptly but am disappointed to be told hat the only toiletry kits left are the for-women-only-KLM-issue ones. So I get nothing. (Proof, according to my fiance when she learned this, that I never think about her.)
It is not before I have gone through customs that I realize the receipt I have been given belongs to someone else, since my name is not Mr. Gentry and I have 2, not 1, bag. I head upstairs to find someone who can let me in to the controlled area downstairs going to see the agent to what I now call my "personal counter of infamy." Mercifully no one from my previous experience is working there today, and I am quickly escorted downstairs. I receive the proper receipt and am about to leave again when I remember that the key to my suitcase, which I had turned over, was put into an envelope with the other receipt number on it, and that this could cause some problems. I go back and take care of this. As I am about to leave (again, again, again) the fellow stops me and says: "Did you know I am really a woman?" No wait, that's not he said. What he said was "Although we are out of KLM toiletry kits we do have some AZ ones" and hands me said kit.
The kit, since everyone is dying to know, is not bad as these things go, though they forgot to include soap and shampoo, but did include face moisturizer. I guess AZ does not differentiate between men and women for such things, because I also found items that most certainly would not be needed by your average man. (Or am I the one who looks like a woman today?). Last item of interest is a t-shirt that reads: "The airline lost my suitcases and all I got was this lousy t-shirt."
Final score not given pending resolution of the delayed luggage. This is the third time this year it happens to me in STR, and on the previous two occasions I was not called when it was delivered to STR. (Indeed, once I was called the day after I had picked it up to be asked when I wanted it delivered).
Edited for UBB coding and for the editing of the UBB coding.
[This message has been edited by SMessier (edited 03-05-2001).]
Itinerary: NW 233 DCA-DTW 2A
NW 68 DTW-AMS 22A
NW 37 93 AMS-STR 11A/B
As I always do when I travel, I arrived at the airport in plenty of time, since I would hate to miss a flight or anything like that. Although the NW computers had not emailed me as promised to confirm my upgrade, I had a new FC seat on the first segment, and the efficient if not very chatty agent handed me my stack of 3 boarding passes. Last time here I had gotten into a bit of trouble with my 82-pound suitcase, but with only 2 pounds over the limit this time no extra dollars were required. I even (?) got First Class/Priority tags on both bags, a first for me on NW, and not something I was expecting. Several hours later it turned out these would do little for me, but lets not get ahead of ourselves.
At the gate I get my seat changed to a window seat (+1 point), and pre-boarding starts quite early, which gives us plenty of time for pre-departure beverages (+1 point). We push back right on schedule and are soon on our way. I suppose this flight was just under the one-hour limit for meals, and the food offered is a choice of a coach-sized bag of peanuts or pretzels. Call me spoiled by EW if you must, but since they invariably have better and more generous food on their short all-coach flights from AMS to Germany, I have no choice but to impose a 3 point penalty. I cant imagine how I would feel had I actually paid for a FC seat!
I will note in passing for cigarmans benefit that although this was a DC-9, the plane was in very good condition and no holes in the wall were seen.
We land a few minutes early, but the increasingly frequent (and annoying) there is a plane at our gate trick keeps us on the runway for a little more than 15 minutes. (-2 points). The pilot does keep us updated and apologizes, and explains that he (too) has asked why we cannot simply use any of the free gates, rather than act as though this particular aircraft is married to gate C17.
It is now 15:30 and I have a little under 2 hours to kill. Not a big deal in most places, but this is DTW. It can never be said often enough that this place sucks. In fact, the words required to describe the facility would no doubt be censored by UBB, so I wont bother. Instead, I will simply say that I headed to the gate at 16h30 for our 17h25 departure. But it is not to be. Indeed, I have arrived just in time to learn we are delayed by an hour, because of a maintenance-dictated aircraft change. The delay stretches on, as another plane must replace our intended aircraft.
Boarding begins shortly after 18h in the expected order: C, Elites, and, well after that I dont know what happened, but it seemed to happen by row number. We push back just before 19h, and it looked like we might be able to make the best of this situation. We remained in the DTW area until 20h because of paperwork issues which made our ETA the same as my (original) ETD out of AMS. Doh! I will nevertheless give the pilot +2 points for keeping us informed, but assess a 2 point penalty for what became a 2h40 minute delay. What he giveth away,
This was my first flight on a NW 744, after being subjected to countless DC-10s going to Europe. I can report that on the former the audio controls are not knobs almost glued into one position, but buttons one can press and that respond to the pressure applied. Almost unbelievable I dare say. (+1 point).
Meal service seemed to take a very long time to get started, but then again by that time I was starving, so that was probably just me. The chicken served was just ok, and the red potatoes served as a side dish must be bought in bulk by NW because they seem to show up for every meal I take on the Red Tails. (-2 points). I wish I had more to say about the service or the flight, but I fell asleep quickly and woke up right after breakfast was served. Ill add that the middle seat was kept free for my neighbor (another WP elite member) and I, one of a few free seats on this flight. Luck or design, who knows, but +2 points all the same.
Arriving in AMS the Transfer Desk near E3 is swamped (no surprise) so I head over to the C gates where the EW flights take off anyway, and use the service counter just after passport control. Speaking of which, as the immigration fellow is going through my passport he asks in a very casual manner: Did you know that the woman next to you is actually a man? Never one to miss a beat I replied Huh? He asked again, and I couldnt help but glance at this alleged she-man to my right. Not sure if he was right, but when I turned to face him he offered the following tip: You better run. I did, though not for the reason he had offered. I found the service counter and was quickly given a new boarding pass and the agent offers to block the seat next to mine (in a 2-2 single aisle ATR 72 configuration). (+1 point)
This left just enough time for an Amaretto enhanced coffee at the DC lounge before heading to the gate prior to my name being called. And people say I can never learn!
[+1 point for me this time] We ride the dreaded little bus to the plane, and leave roughly on time. The usual assortment of bread, meats and cheeses (for an airplane feast) is served by the usual dependable and friendly EW crew. (+2 points) Ill be curious to see the difference, if any, once KLM takes over these routes as is scheduled.
In STR, no fool that I am, it is with little confidence that I await the arrival of my two bags. No unexpected surprises here, they are not in the lot, but I am the first to make a break for the delayed luggage counter, where luckily no one remembers me. (For more on this please see: Paging Mr. Messier. I take care of business promptly but am disappointed to be told hat the only toiletry kits left are the for-women-only-KLM-issue ones. So I get nothing. (Proof, according to my fiance when she learned this, that I never think about her.)
It is not before I have gone through customs that I realize the receipt I have been given belongs to someone else, since my name is not Mr. Gentry and I have 2, not 1, bag. I head upstairs to find someone who can let me in to the controlled area downstairs going to see the agent to what I now call my "personal counter of infamy." Mercifully no one from my previous experience is working there today, and I am quickly escorted downstairs. I receive the proper receipt and am about to leave again when I remember that the key to my suitcase, which I had turned over, was put into an envelope with the other receipt number on it, and that this could cause some problems. I go back and take care of this. As I am about to leave (again, again, again) the fellow stops me and says: "Did you know I am really a woman?" No wait, that's not he said. What he said was "Although we are out of KLM toiletry kits we do have some AZ ones" and hands me said kit.
The kit, since everyone is dying to know, is not bad as these things go, though they forgot to include soap and shampoo, but did include face moisturizer. I guess AZ does not differentiate between men and women for such things, because I also found items that most certainly would not be needed by your average man. (Or am I the one who looks like a woman today?). Last item of interest is a t-shirt that reads: "The airline lost my suitcases and all I got was this lousy t-shirt."
Final score not given pending resolution of the delayed luggage. This is the third time this year it happens to me in STR, and on the previous two occasions I was not called when it was delivered to STR. (Indeed, once I was called the day after I had picked it up to be asked when I wanted it delivered).
Edited for UBB coding and for the editing of the UBB coding.
[This message has been edited by SMessier (edited 03-05-2001).]
Mar 5, 2001 | 11:14 am
#2
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Posts: 1,213
What scandelous behaviour on the part of the immigration officer.
Transgender folk have the same right to be treated with courtesy and respect as do any other memebrs of society.
I am sure if he had been reported for his conduct his bosses would have taken a dim view of his seriously unprofessional conduct.
Stephen
Transgender folk have the same right to be treated with courtesy and respect as do any other memebrs of society.
I am sure if he had been reported for his conduct his bosses would have taken a dim view of his seriously unprofessional conduct.
Stephen
Mar 5, 2001 | 2:17 pm
#6
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 46,817
"...Final score not given pending resolution of the delayed luggage..." 
Thanks Sebastien! I'm waiting for the final score!
OMNI WARNING: Perhaps everyone stayed home from work due to the "storm of the century" and they now online and thus swamping routers and servers on the east coast and thensome!
[This message has been edited by doc (edited 03-05-2001).]
Thanks Sebastien! I'm waiting for the final score!
OMNI WARNING: Perhaps everyone stayed home from work due to the "storm of the century" and they now online and thus swamping routers and servers on the east coast and thensome!
[This message has been edited by doc (edited 03-05-2001).]
Mar 5, 2001 | 11:51 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: This year we're going to the BAFTAs!
Posts: 5,518
Originally posted by doc:
"...Final score not given pending resolution of the delayed luggage..."
Thanks Sebastien! I'm waiting for the final score!
OMNI WARNING: Perhaps everyone stayed home from work due to the "storm of the century" and they now online and thus swamping routers and servers on the east coast and thensome!
"...Final score not given pending resolution of the delayed luggage..."
Thanks Sebastien! I'm waiting for the final score!
OMNI WARNING: Perhaps everyone stayed home from work due to the "storm of the century" and they now online and thus swamping routers and servers on the east coast and thensome!
According to the NW online luggage tracking system, my bags are now at the airport, though no one called me yesterday. Actually, they were both very heavy and I was secretly wishing someone else would get to bring them to my place. Looks like I got my wish.
Mar 6, 2001 | 7:20 am
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 46,817
Glad to hear the bags are on the way!
Nah, we had VERY little thusfar!
"But the monstrous winter storm that forecasters had predicted for the New York metropolitan area since the middle of last week a storm that sounded in some news media like the blizzard of the decade or perhaps the century turned out yesterday to be a bit off in its timing, location and severity. The shifting predictions showed the limits of the often-astonishing supercomputers and satellites used in forecasts these days.
Instead of burial and paralysis under one to two feet of snow, New York City and its suburbs endured only a sputtering drizzle for most of the day, then a moderate snowfall."
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/06/nyregion/06SNOW.html
But I think MANY stayed home and were perhaps online!
Nah, we had VERY little thusfar!
"But the monstrous winter storm that forecasters had predicted for the New York metropolitan area since the middle of last week a storm that sounded in some news media like the blizzard of the decade or perhaps the century turned out yesterday to be a bit off in its timing, location and severity. The shifting predictions showed the limits of the often-astonishing supercomputers and satellites used in forecasts these days.
Instead of burial and paralysis under one to two feet of snow, New York City and its suburbs endured only a sputtering drizzle for most of the day, then a moderate snowfall."
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/06/nyregion/06SNOW.html
But I think MANY stayed home and were perhaps online!
Mar 8, 2001 | 9:33 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: This year we're going to the BAFTAs!
Posts: 5,518
First, greetings back to David. Getting back to business however, let's see how NW and EW fared on this trip. Pre-luggage resolution the score stands at +2, a decent though very average score.
I arrived on Monday and it was Tuesday at 8h05am that the luggage folks called and announced their desire to deliver the now found suitcases. I confirmed my address and presence at home, and around 9h30am someone called to let me know they were downstairs with the bags. I rushed down there, and indeed they were.
For delivering the bags in a timely manner (in spite of slight damage to one of them), I will award +3 points.
However, according to the tags on the bags they arrived in STR Monday at 14h, which could (should?) have made it possible that they be delivered the same day. Given how adamant they have been in the past that one is called "as soon as the bags come in" and that at 18h Monday evening the online luggage tracking system still listed the bags as missing, I will deduct -1 point from the total score.
Final score: +4. Not bad, not great.
I arrived on Monday and it was Tuesday at 8h05am that the luggage folks called and announced their desire to deliver the now found suitcases. I confirmed my address and presence at home, and around 9h30am someone called to let me know they were downstairs with the bags. I rushed down there, and indeed they were.
For delivering the bags in a timely manner (in spite of slight damage to one of them), I will award +3 points.
However, according to the tags on the bags they arrived in STR Monday at 14h, which could (should?) have made it possible that they be delivered the same day. Given how adamant they have been in the past that one is called "as soon as the bags come in" and that at 18h Monday evening the online luggage tracking system still listed the bags as missing, I will deduct -1 point from the total score.
Final score: +4. Not bad, not great.