IAH-ANC-IAH in CO First
Jul 24, 2001, 9:20 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Houston, Texas
Programs: CO Silver
Posts: 2,600
IAH-ANC-IAH in CO First
18 July 2001
CO 1509
IAH – ANC
Depart 02:30p
Arrive 06:33p
757-200
Seats 2A & B
Boarding took place on time through Door 2L. We took our seats and I had a pre-departure Sam Adams and settled in for the 6:30 flight. Take off was delayed for about 1.5 hours due to weather in the vicinity of IAH. After we cleared 10000', meal orders were taken front-to-back, then hot towels (which were prepared by pouring hot water from a coffee carafe onto the towels). Choices were steak with vegetables or chicken tenderloins with alfredo sauce and vegetables. We chose the beef, which was quite nice. A salad was served with Caesar dressing, then our entrees. Unlike previous F experiences on CO, the FAs came down the aisle with a cart to give us our trays with the salad. I've never seen this done before - it's always been carried from the galley. I believe they also had wine on the cart and offered it as they presented your tray. Entrees were served from the galley. Ice cream sundaes were offered for desert, with a choice of hot fudge, strawberries, nuts, whipped cream, and cherries. The sundaes were prepared in the aisle on one of the BusinessFirst-style carts (three-tier silver). I’ve never seen these used on a domestic flight. Nice presentation – I’m used to being served sundaes from the galley. Are these carts used on transcons? While the meal was being served, Delivering Milo played on the video monitors.
About 2 ½ hours out of Anchorage (and about 1 ½ hours after the previous meal service), hot towel and a cold plate of chicken, shrimp, and a rice/pasta salad was offered. I was still full from the previous meal, but I ate it anyway. Then, about an hour out of Anchorage, we were served fresh cookies (fudge and chocolate chunk) with milk.
We arrived about an hour late into gate A-8, which looked to be a shared gate with Alaska. Alaska performed the ground service.
I was talking to the FA in the galley about the service. This was her first time flying the IAH-ANC leg, and she said it would be her last because there is ‘too much service’. I guess that translates to ‘too much work’.
23 July 2001
CO 1210
ANC – IAH
Depart: 09:15p
Arrive: 06:48a +1
757-200
Seats 4A & B
The incoming flight from Houston parked at a gate (A-5) without a jetway, so deplaning and boarding took place on stairs. It was interesting – and slow! After FC boarded, it started to rain which made it worse for all the coach passengers standing on the tarmac waiting to board.
We settled in and I had a Sam Adams before departure. Flight time was announced to be 6 hours. After takeoff, cocktail and dinner orders were taken. Choices were chicken Kiev or halibut. We had the chicken. It was okay. The service on this flight took forever! You’d think they would speed things up a bit since it’s a red-eye flight. I think it took 2 ½ hours from takeoff to completion of dinner service. The FA took our cocktail orders, went to the galley and prepared all 24 drinks, then had to consult her manifest to double-check before delivering each drink. We did get warmed nuts in a ramekin, but had time to eat them all before we received our drinks. Then, salad and entrée were delivered on a single tray (a tight fit) so slowly that we in row 4 were finished eating before those in row 6 received their meals! After serving dinner, the FA’s decided to eat their dinner in plain view of the FC cabin before serving ice cream sundaes for dessert. These were served from the galley and the toppings were the same as the previous flight. Finally, the service was over.
We slept through breakfast, but I think it was a fruit plate and perhaps a pastry of some sort. I requested an OJ when I woke up, but the FA delivered it to the person in front of me who was still asleep. I had to invoke the FA call button on this one. She realized her mistake, but didn’t apologize. Overall, the service was poor on this segment. The inbound was much better!
CO 1509
IAH – ANC
Depart 02:30p
Arrive 06:33p
757-200
Seats 2A & B
Boarding took place on time through Door 2L. We took our seats and I had a pre-departure Sam Adams and settled in for the 6:30 flight. Take off was delayed for about 1.5 hours due to weather in the vicinity of IAH. After we cleared 10000', meal orders were taken front-to-back, then hot towels (which were prepared by pouring hot water from a coffee carafe onto the towels). Choices were steak with vegetables or chicken tenderloins with alfredo sauce and vegetables. We chose the beef, which was quite nice. A salad was served with Caesar dressing, then our entrees. Unlike previous F experiences on CO, the FAs came down the aisle with a cart to give us our trays with the salad. I've never seen this done before - it's always been carried from the galley. I believe they also had wine on the cart and offered it as they presented your tray. Entrees were served from the galley. Ice cream sundaes were offered for desert, with a choice of hot fudge, strawberries, nuts, whipped cream, and cherries. The sundaes were prepared in the aisle on one of the BusinessFirst-style carts (three-tier silver). I’ve never seen these used on a domestic flight. Nice presentation – I’m used to being served sundaes from the galley. Are these carts used on transcons? While the meal was being served, Delivering Milo played on the video monitors.
About 2 ½ hours out of Anchorage (and about 1 ½ hours after the previous meal service), hot towel and a cold plate of chicken, shrimp, and a rice/pasta salad was offered. I was still full from the previous meal, but I ate it anyway. Then, about an hour out of Anchorage, we were served fresh cookies (fudge and chocolate chunk) with milk.
We arrived about an hour late into gate A-8, which looked to be a shared gate with Alaska. Alaska performed the ground service.
I was talking to the FA in the galley about the service. This was her first time flying the IAH-ANC leg, and she said it would be her last because there is ‘too much service’. I guess that translates to ‘too much work’.
23 July 2001
CO 1210
ANC – IAH
Depart: 09:15p
Arrive: 06:48a +1
757-200
Seats 4A & B
The incoming flight from Houston parked at a gate (A-5) without a jetway, so deplaning and boarding took place on stairs. It was interesting – and slow! After FC boarded, it started to rain which made it worse for all the coach passengers standing on the tarmac waiting to board.
We settled in and I had a Sam Adams before departure. Flight time was announced to be 6 hours. After takeoff, cocktail and dinner orders were taken. Choices were chicken Kiev or halibut. We had the chicken. It was okay. The service on this flight took forever! You’d think they would speed things up a bit since it’s a red-eye flight. I think it took 2 ½ hours from takeoff to completion of dinner service. The FA took our cocktail orders, went to the galley and prepared all 24 drinks, then had to consult her manifest to double-check before delivering each drink. We did get warmed nuts in a ramekin, but had time to eat them all before we received our drinks. Then, salad and entrée were delivered on a single tray (a tight fit) so slowly that we in row 4 were finished eating before those in row 6 received their meals! After serving dinner, the FA’s decided to eat their dinner in plain view of the FC cabin before serving ice cream sundaes for dessert. These were served from the galley and the toppings were the same as the previous flight. Finally, the service was over.
We slept through breakfast, but I think it was a fruit plate and perhaps a pastry of some sort. I requested an OJ when I woke up, but the FA delivered it to the person in front of me who was still asleep. I had to invoke the FA call button on this one. She realized her mistake, but didn’t apologize. Overall, the service was poor on this segment. The inbound was much better!
