LEB

Miles:
real 18,353
status 21,462
bonus 49,226

ORH-PHL, Dash 8, seat 3F

My first time to ORH. US had a sale for all ORH flights which produced a RT SFO flight for under $300 at a time when all other airports were above $600. ORH seemed to be about the same distance as BOS and that's about where the comparison stops. Instead of driving down the main interstates from NH (I89, I93, etc..) we headed down I91 in Vermont, got on Route 2 east at Greenfield, MA and then rt 122 down to Worcester. A picturesque drive to be sure, but also on the slow side as you wind through many a quaint New England town, most of which I couldn't pronounce. I'm a midwesterner by birth and my Wife has had to spend a fair share of time reminding me how to say Worcester. I believe it comes out something like "wuss-ter" (no offense) with the 'C' not only masquerading as an 's' but somehow obliterating the 'r' in the process.

ORH has a small terminal, although larger than my namesake LEB to be sure. It's been a long time since I've taken a Dash 8 and I'd forgotten all about there being an FA onboard. Seat 3a ("all" seats are 1st class, as the gold reservation agent joked) is slightly back from the prop. In the future I would probably try for 1F and then 2F, but 3F wasn't bad. A typical small craft, low altitude bumpy ride, or perhaps all of my small airplane days are coincidental with choppy weather. Quick drink service (no cans handed out - you get a cup and that's that) and a bag-o-snacks.

Coming into PHL I was quite surprised when we pulled into a gate and a squat terminal walkway hooked to our plane just like with the big boys. My first time in Terminal F, kind of like a miniature terminal for height challenged airplanes. Took a Bus over to Terminal C for connections, hit the main US Club for a bit, then off to the gate for my SFO leg.


PHL-SFO, A320, 3D

Upgrading was easy on this whole series of flights as I managed to upgrade all of the domestic legs ahead of time (3 days prior) and avoided having to participate in the at-gate upgrade lottery. I'm about halfway through "The Code Book : The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography" by Simon Singh, which is quite fascinating and a thoroughly good read. I alternated reading that and watching the movie, Spy Kids, which was an ok movie although a little slow/silly at times. This was an afternoon flight and the menu included:

Wines:
Paul Cheneau Brut Blanc de Blanc Cava NC
Haywood Select California Chardonnay 1998
Geyser Peak California Merlot 1999
Stonehaven Southeast Australia Chardonnay 2000

Starter
Smoked Chicken Appetizer

Salad
Seasonal Salad

Entree
Stuffed Tenderloin w/wild mushrooms and saga blue cheese, duchess potatoes & veggy medley
Lemon Pepper Ravioli filled with rock shrimp & Mascarpone cheese w/marinara sauce
Chicken and Fusilli pasta salad w/tiger prawns, goat cheese, Roma tomatoes

After take-off I had a glass of the Paul Cheneau, which I thought was good. I switched to the Merlot for the meal, as it is the only red they are serving this month. For the meal I chose the Tenderloin and thought that everything was quite tasty, even the smoked chicken. I skipped the Ice Cream Sundae dessert.

FC was a little over half full, if I remember correctly, and coach was pretty full. After the meal and movie were over I read for a while and then zonked out for a couple of hours. Flight was uneventful, a little choppy over the midwest.

Had a couple of days in the SFO area and checked into the SFO Hilton Garden (North) the last night using an award redemption, which was really too many points (25k) for what I got. The room was completely identical to the one in Eagon, MN from my last trip even down to the big plastic plant placed between fridge and TV stand. Oddly, when I checked at the Hilton web site for reservations they listed standard and executive rooms for the hotel, but when I checked in and asked for an upgrade to the executive room (Gold VIP) they informed me that the "executive" rooms were actually across the street at the Larkspur and, of course, no upgrade. No breakfast certs or other amenities for being Gold, but I didn't have the energy to press it. The next morning was an early one and I took the shuttle to SFO at 6am.


SFO-PIT, 757, 5D

The trip is SFO-FRA in cheap coach seats but through a spot of luck I discovered that the flight over was actually booked as a B fare, which meant I could upgrade using miles (20k). I was put on the standby list and kept pestering them, even up to the morning of the flight, but was never cleared for the upgrade. I tried to check in at the Club but when she took a look at my record she suggested I'd better go back to the front counter. At the front counter a typical disaster scenario was playing out with folks showing up fifteen minutes before their flight and being ushered up to any agent that was open, including the first class/div miles positions. Finally got to an agent and he did a double take when he looked at my record. After a minute or so of typing and head scratching he called up the main office and had them explain what was going on. This seems to happen every time I upgrade an international flight with miles. He managed to upgrade the SFO-PIT leg but said that I was still on standby for the PIT-FRA portion, but that it looked good. This always bugs me since I lose the 20k miles even if I don't make the international leg. Not much to do about it considering that we had killed all of the extra time I had and my flight was boarding.

Again, another partially empty FC section, two of the passengers being pilots & one an FA. Of course this was a breakfast flight so water/juice/coffee and an omelette. The movie was Spy Kids again because the entertainment system messed up/ate the eastbound tape. I listened to music channels instead and read my book before falling asleep.


PIT-FRA, A330, 7F

I had extra time so I checked out two of the PIT US Clubs before proceeding to the international terminal and checking in. Thankfully my upgrade cleared and I got Envoy boarding pass. I didn't remember to ask for drink coupons for the club and no one volunteered them. I bought the book "Up in the Air" by Walter Kirn which was reviewed by Catman and while I was paying for it I had the strangest sensation that my name was being called somewhere. I started walking back to the Club and heard my name paged, so I dialed information to find out that my travel companions (separate flights) had their flight cancelled and would be arriving in FRA late. In the club just as I was settling down I got a page to the front desk and this time it was my wife on the phone wondering if I'd gotten her message. I'm pretty impressed that she managed to track me down considering I'd forgotten to give her any of my flight information.

I love flying the A330's in Envoy (haven't had the honor to try first yet) and my seat this time was a center section aisle, which works out great since nobody needs to disturb you to get out or vice versa. The young lady sitting next to me was also pleasant company. I think I helped make her layover in FRA a little easier when I informed her that she was entitled to use the arrivals lounge. When you check in they don't tell you this.

Started off with a mimosa and bottled water. The meal was fantastic, here's the menu:

Start
mixed nuts

Hors d'oeuvre
snow crab claw w/cocktail sauce
smoked salmon tartlet
grilled shrimp w/mango salsa

Salad cart
Baby spinach w/choice: hard boiled eggs, julienned red bell peppers, squash, zucchini

Entrees
Pistachio-crusted salmon
Breast of duck in port wine sauce
Herb-roasted lamb chops

Cheese and fruit
Cambozola, Ambassadeur and Farmhouse Cheddar cheese
Grapes & Apple slices

Dessert
Tiramisu

Express meal
breast of chicken and fussilli pasta salad (same as the SFO-PIT)

Wine list
Champagnes
Domaine Ste. Michelle Cuvee Brut
Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV
Whites
Louis Latour Montagny 1997
De Loach Vineyard California Chardonnay 1999
Reds
Chateau Pagnac Saint-Emilion AOC 1997
Concannon CA Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon 1998
Port
Fonseca Bin No.27 Porto NV
Regional Wines
Lous Guntrum Royal Blue Riesling 1998
Marquess de Murrieta Coleccion 2100 Rioja 1998
Argusto Dolcetto d'Acqui 1996
(menu said regionals avail on selected flights, I don't know which were on this flight)

The snow crab was great as was the salad. I chose the Duck and enjoyed it immensely. My seatmate chose the Salmon and I tried a bit and it was good too, not as good as the duck, and the serving size was very generous. I started off pre-meal trying the Piper-Heidsieck and liked it. For the meal I chose the Chateau Pagnac and it was great with the duck. I skipped dessert and instead tried all of the cheeses and fruit. My seatmate suggested the Port, so I tried a little but I'm not a port person.

I watched the movies Chocolat, State and Main, and then dozed off for a couple of hours. They didn't serve an arrival breakfast and I didn't think of going up and grabbing something from the cart.

Upon landing I headed to the Cathay Pacific(?) arrivals lounge, showed my ticket stub and then headed straightway into the shower. This is my first arrival lounge visit and it was a wonderful thing, just what I needed. Afterwards I drank juice and coffee, checked my email, and read some more "Up in the Air." My travel companions were arriving on United (after their Lufthansa code share flight got cancelled) so I headed over to Terminal 1 to meet them. This year, before my travel got reduced, I got comped on a couple of airlines in anticipation of maybe switching or expanding my primary carrier. This included Prem Exec from United, which means I have a Gold Star Alliance card and, from what I've read on Flyertalk, should be able to get into Gold Star lounges (well, I ought to have a ticket too). So, just for giggles, I went to the Lufthansa Senators lounge and they let me in no problem. Snacked a bit since they had a better choice of food than the US arrivals lounge, and then met my travel companions.

The time in Germany was spent on business travel around Cologne, Dusseldorf, and Dortmund, with side trips to Aachen and Monchau. I rode on the Autobahn for the first time (in a couple of Audi's and a Saab) and they hit 110mph regularly, topped out at 120mph. Quite interesting. You need good brakes for that, since we had to use them frequently as slower cars pulled into the fast lane.


FRA-PHL, A330, 15F

Bad night of sleeping followed by a two hour train ride to the airport and three hours of waiting for the flight. I tried and tried to suggest to the US agents that they ought to give me an operational upgrade to first but what little charm I have wasn't up to the task. I checked in early and headed back to Terminal 1 to spend the time in the Admiral's club since they still have the partnership with US until August (which the desk person ensured that I fully understood). It's a comfortable club with ample drink selections and a few small snacks. An hour before departure I worked my way back over to Terminal 2 and tried my hand at bluffing my way into the Envoy departure lounge. Almost, I showed them my PHL-SFO first class ticket when she said that if I'm travelling first then I can come in, but then she uncovered my FRA-PHL ticket and discovered that I was but a lowly cattle classer and herded me on out. Moo... Well, at least I get to board early and stake claim to overhead luggage space.

The first and only coach seat in this entire excursion. Center aisle and the couple next to me ended up moving down one, freeing up the seat next to me. Seemed a little tighter than previous flights in A330 coach, but it could have been because my back was starting to bother me. Spent the whole time watching movies including Miss Congeniality, State and Main (again), and 13 days. Actually it took three tries to watch 13 days, when Kevin Costner first started talking with a Mass. accent I couldn't stop rolling my eyes and finally switched it off. It was really hard to get into this movie and when I finally did and the tension started building (towards end of movie I think) the entertainment system was shut down for landing. No great loss.

Menu came on a little glossy handout which included the menu in English & German, list of beverages (essentially the same as what's in the magazine), a list of events in Philadelphia this month, landmark/museum guides, and a nice map of Philly. Not that I've ever been outside the PHL airport, but it looked handy. Menu:

Starter
Fresh Seasonal Salad

Entree
Chicken Romano w/tomato cilantro sauce, baby carrots, french beans and scented rice
Two-Sauce tortellini filled w/Ricotta cheese w/tomato cilantro sauce, bell peppers and asparugus

Dessert
Berry cake
Cheese and crackers

Afternoon Refreshment
Cold plate featuring turkey, gouda cheese, salami, potato salad and bread roll


I'm pretty sure I had the chicken, but it's all a blur, nothing memorable in any case. The FA's were quite busy and didn't brook any variation to their pre-programmed schedule. I tried to get a bottle of water without the glass and got a serious glaring at as he insisted I take it. On the other hand he handed out wine like it was plastic glasses and I got all of the water I wanted throughout the flight.


PHL-SFO, 757, 3A

Another odd part of this journey is the number of 757's that I took. I hadn't been on a 757 for most of the year, trying to go all Airbus (if Airbus buys US do we call them "US Airbusways"?). The one thing I like about a 757 is that you enter behind FC, so all of coach isn't trekking by you during the loading process and the FAs can move about and get pre-flight drinks, jackets, etc..

This flight was delayed in boarding and then when we got on the tarmac we joined two huge lines of aircraft waiting for takeoff. At least a half hour, maybe more, and at times it seemed like they were giving preference to all of the non-US craft...not sure what the logic was behind the sequencing was but it sure wasn't first come first serve.

Menu was the same as PHL-SFO above and this time I chose the Lemon Pepper Ravioli, which wasn't too bad. I'd finished both of my books by this time and started on another that someone loaned me which quickly put me to sleep. FC was once again only half full and the seat next to me was empty, although that doesn't help at all when you sleep unless you are the letter W. All of the travel was catching up and my back was going to defcon 3 by the time we landed.

SFO was a quick overnighter so I had booked the SFO Hampton for the short night. The bus was running late, they had two other dropoffs before me, and then the clerk at the Hampton was totally harried and lost. Finally got into my room two hours after my scheduled landing time and zonked right out. Near as I can remember the room was nice, but I didn't get any Gold amenities nor did I really care.


SFO-PHL, 757, 6C

Morning came too soon and it was shower, checkout, bus ride, and up to the club for a welcome cup of coffee and check of email. Also asked about switching my final destination from ORH to MHT but they suggested I wait until PHL to ask.

Noticed that the 6:30 flight was still there at 7am and when I boarded my flight my seatmate turned out to be one of the folks bumped from it. Apparently it need a part which had to be flown up from PHX and the whole flight was cancelled. We had a good conversation, he being from Portland and I having worked for the FAA up in Bangor. He said that Bangor is now the preferred "Air Rage" port for international flights. Rather than try to fly into a big, busy airport to remove an unruly passenger they can hop into Bangor and an Air Rage team storms out to deal with it quick and efficiently. He said they had someone through 3 or 4 times a month (or was that a week?). Pretty funny.

At this point I was getting pretty burnt out and watched the movie, but really didn't register much about it. Finished the other book and tried my best to sleep after the meal. Here's the menu:

(same wines as first menu)

Start
Shrimp lovers cocktail

Salad (same)

Entree
Filet of Beef, herb encrusted w/black bean sauce, garlic potatoes, veggy medley
Mediterranean Chicken enhanced by carrots (?) and gnocchi florentine
Stuffed Turbot w/lemon herb sauce, saffron rice, spinach and brussel sprouts

I had the Filet of Beef and it was very good. The vegetable medley that came with it had the funkiest odor/flavor and I completely skipped it and I saw many others who did as well.

FC was probably 3/4 full. The only other oddity was someone that got on board ("civilian" clothes) and proceeded to enter the cockpit with all of their luggage. Halfway through the flight he came back and sat in FC for the remainder, and was served a meal (an hour after ours).


PHL-ORH, Dash 8, 3A

By this time I'd been about halfway around the world in miles and my back had moved on to Defcon 2. I visited special services to try moving my final leg to an airport closer to home but she said that I should have done this at SFO and that it would now cost over $400.

It was a long layover, almost four hours, and I spent half of it in the main US club then limped my way to gate C16 and took the bus over to terminal F. Really dead airport at this hour (8pm Saturday) and I was the only one on the bus. They have a nice little club in Terminal F, upstairs by the main bus doors, which is similar to the one at BOS. When the time came I limped my way down to gate F32, but when I got there it was a totally different flight and the board had changed my flight to gate 20. Limp back and just as I approach the gate they announce the change on the PA. I was really hoping it was gate 32 since the plane parked there was an EMB-145, which I haven't had the chance to fly on yet. While in the club I also spotted an Airtran B717 which looked real sharp.

Nothing special about the ORH flight. My ride home was over an hour late and so it ended up that I was the very last person at the airport when she arrived. Seriously, the doors were all open, the moving stairs kept moving, but I didn't see a single soul inside in the last 20 minutes. Spooky, especially when you're starting to wonder if you might be spending the night. Speaking of escalators the ones in FRA have motion detectors and shut themselves down after a period without use. Great idea! Of course the first time I saw this I thought it was out of order and took an elevator instead.


The End

This is where I should probably have a moral of this story or something. The good news is that I'm almost to Chairman's preferred (>85k) but that's it for flying ORH. I gave it a try but it's just not worth the extra driving hassle and reduced schedule options. I'll stick with MHT or BOS.

sarecca

Excellent trip report. Thanks for all of the information