ORD-LHR-ORD 29Sep-03OCT ... Getting back in the air; visiting friends (l-o-n-g)
Oct 6, 2001, 5:11 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP Gold
Posts: 1,093
ORD-LHR-ORD 29Sep-03OCT ... Getting back in the air; visiting friends (l-o-n-g)
Hello everyone,
The events of September 11, 2001, shook me like nothing has ever shaken me before. Like many others, I stayed glued to television news reports, staring in utter disbelief of the images broadcast. It depressed me; it broke my heart. The enormity of the loss and the suffering was overwhelming. I wondered when, if ever, I would feel like traveling again.
About two weeks later, a friend wrote to tell me he would be playing an organ recital at St. Paul's Cathedral, in London, on 30 September. At the same time, I had an email from my English friends, who encouraged me to come over and visit. At first, I resisted the notion thinking I was not yet ready. After a few days' deliberation, I reconsidered and made my plans. Here is an account of my brief trip.
Saturday, 29SEP, AA 90Y ORD-LHR and Posthouse Premier Heathrow hotel
AA 90 departs ORD at 08:50. I was dreading the three hour check-in time and thought that perhaps I would not go out so early. However, I made it out to ORD just a few minutes past 06:00 and, upon arrival, I was discouraged to see fairly long check-in lines at the International ticket counter. However, once I found the GLD/PLT/EXP check-in (International First Class) I was the only customer. Check in procedures took no more than five minutes and I was interested to hear the young lady tell me that my checked bag would not be going through the "heavy duty" (my terminology) X-ray machine. She explained that the computer randomly selects passengers whose bags will be screened with the high-powered device. Hmmm. Random? I doubt it.
Off I went to "security," where the only additional measure seemed to be the presence of two uniformed AA agents ensuring that the name on passengers' photo identification matched that on the tickets. Otherwise, it seemed to be business as usual and inspired absolutely no confidence.
Minutes later, I was in the Admirals Club, where I had over two hours to wait for the flight to board. The AC was very deserted although I guess that might not be unusual for 06:20 on a Saturday morning. I spent most of the time online, reading FT, and drinking tea.
Around 08:15, I set off for gate K-16 to board the flight. Talk about deserted! The passenger count (according to the gate agents) was P2/J6/Y35 so everyone had plenty of room to stretch out. I had initially chosen seat 26C but moved after take-off to 38A/B.
With all of the talk about some captains "taking charge" and supposed new rules about having to stay in one's seat unless one needed to use the lavatory (and then only with an FA escort), I wondered what the mood would be on the flight. I was delighted to find it was very relaxed. The captain delivered a warm and hearty greeting with only the request that we respect the boundary of the curtains at the front of our respective cabins. And we had a dynamite in-flight crew, who were exceedingly friendly and made our trip very pleasant.
Shortly after departure, the beverage and meal service began. The two selections were a filet of salmon, with an herbed cream sauce, accompanied by scalloped potatoes and salad or steak with French cut carrots and green beans with a salad. I asked the FA which one she thought was best and she replied, "Well, we have a lot of food today and very few passengers, so why not try them both and you can let me know which one you preferred." Fair enough. Actually, both were pretty good - as Coach meals go, anyway.
The rest of the flight passed quickly (7:10 total flying time) and, to my complete surprise, we arrived early. That has rarely happened among the many occasions on which I have taken AA 90 to LHR. This time, it could not have worked out better: Arrived at the gate at 22:23 (scheduled arrival is 22:35); entered Immigration at 22:33 and was fourth in line; arrived at the baggage belt at 22:36 to find my bag just coming around; exited Customs at 22:38. Amazing! I was on the Hotel Hoppa bus (route H1) at 22:45 and headed to the Posthouse Premier hotel. On the ten minute ride to the hotel I reflected upon the many times I had taken AA 90 when it was late and I was running to make the last Heathrow Express train to London. By contrast, Saturday's experience was totally stress free.
My room at the Posthouse Premier (now also known as the "Holiday Inn London-Heathrow M4, Jct. 4") was very comfortable with a king-size bed (actually, two twins pushed together) and very clean, modern furnishings. The bathroom was outfitted in such dazzling white, pristine porcelain that it was almost blinding. Apparently the hotel has been undergoing refurbishment and they are not yet finished. For example, while the lobby, lounge and restaurants had been remodeled and my room was quite up-to-date, the hallways on the second floor were in desperate need of new paint, wallpaper and carpeting. However, I didn't spend the night in the hallway so it didn't matter to me. For Ł48.00 (a "click-it weekend rate" booked on the Posthouse website), inclusive of VAT, I had a peaceful night's rest in a "superior" room and I was quite happy with the arrangement.
Sunday-Wednesday, 30SEP-3OCT, a Chinese lunch in London, an organ recital and visiting friends in Suffolk
Sunday morning, I enjoyed a delicious and hearty breakfast from the bountiful buffet, checked out of the hotel and took the Hotel Hoppa bus to Terminal 2 at Heathrow, from which I walked to the Heathrow Central station for Heathrow Express. After spending a few minutes fighting with the automated ticketing machines (the touch screens were not working on three of them) I was off to Paddington.
Since I was meeting two friends for lunch at a Chinese restaurant near the Queensway tube station, then heading directly to St. Paul's for the organ recital, my plan was to take my bags to the "Left Luggage" facility at Liverpool Street Station, from which I would depart later that night for the East Anglia countryside. Ah, the best laid plans ... alas, it was not to be. There were industrial actions (sick-out or strike, I'm not sure which) on the Underground that got in the way of my plans. Once on the platform for the Hammersmith & City line, an announcement was made that many trains were being delayed or canceled because of a lack of drivers and we were all encouraged to transfer at the first opportunity to an alternate line. Bummer. I did not want to be late to meet Kerry and Sally for lunch, so I decided to just lug my bags around London and not worry about trying to store them anywhere. I got off the train at the next stop, Edgware Road, and transferred to the District Line, which took me to Nottinghill Gate, where I transferred to the Central Line to Queensway. It was a pain to haul the luggage to/from the restaurant and, later, to/from St. Paul's but I survived.
Lunch was excellent (sorry, I cannot recall the name of the restaurant) and, afterward, we went back to Sally's home in Queen's Park for tea. About 16:00, they drove me to the Nottinghill Gate tube station, where I hopped on the Central Line to St. Paul's.
Christopher Cromar is the young man who played the organ recital at 17:00 and he played it very well, indeed. St. Paul's is one of the most thrilling venues for organ concerts in the world. The instrument itself is very fine and is distributed among several divisions including one high up in the dome. Beyond that, the acoustics of the cathedral are nothing short of astounding. There are no fewer than eight full seconds of reverberation and the effect is thrilling.
After Christopher's recital I joined him and other friends for a drink at the Barbican Centre (the only nearby place we could find open for a drink) then he and I set off for dinner before my train departed. We wound up dining at a Pizza Express (don't laugh; it was very good!) restaurant just a few blocks from Liverpool Street Station and we had a delightful dinner and an excellent bottle of Montepulciano. I understand the Pizza Express chain has sprung up all over England and they are rather well regarded. Christopher and I certainly enjoyed our experience.
At 21:30 it was time to take the train about 75 miles northeast to Suffolk, where I would spend the next few days with Paul Palmer and his partner, Roy. The train (Anglia Railways) was on schedule and Paul and Roy were waiting for me on the platform at the Manningtree station.
For the next few days, I was in the care of these two fine gentlemen, whose hospitality and generosity were beyond what anyone could expect. I so enjoyed their company and the driving tours around Suffolk, where I saw a number of old houses, shops and churches ... many of which dated to the sixteenth century or earlier.
During the three days I spent in Suffolk, it was obvious that both Paul and Roy have earned great respect from their many friends and virtually everyone in their community. I felt very honored to know them and very privileged to have been introduced to a number of other fine people during my visit.
My stay in the country was all too brief and, soon, it was time to depart for home on Wednesday. Since Paul had to work, Roy drove me to Heathrow. We set out late morning for a leisurely drive in the glorious weather and, about two hours and fifteen minutes later, we arrived at LHR's Terminal 3.
After bidding Roy goodbye, I walked in and headed over to AA's ticket counters where nobody was in line at any of the check-in areas. It took fewer than ten minutes to complete the formalities and I was off to security, where I found four people ahead of me in line. I have never seen Heathrow so dead. Within a few minutes, I was on my way to the Admirals Club, where I had about three hours to wait for the boarding call for AA 91.
Wednesday, 3OCT, AA 91Y LHR-ORD
Boarding began at about 17:05 for our departure of 17:35. As with my outbound flight, the load was extremely light: P3/J11/Y35. How I wish I could tell you that the flight was as enjoyable as my outbound journey but, sadly, it just wasn't so. AA 91/3OCT had perhaps the absolute worst in-flight crew I have ever experienced on any flight in the 33 years I have been flying.
Now, let me quickly say that my comments apply only to three of the four FAs working the Coach cabin. I have no idea how the FAs were in Business or First Class. With one notable exception, our FAs were clearly bothered by the thought of working that flight. To hear their comments (and they did nothing to hide their feelings from us) you would have thought they were being put under extreme hardship to serve 35 passengers. It was simply awful and they should have been ashamed of themselves for the blatantly indifferent (if not downright hostile) attitude they presented. I'll stop here or I'll get on a rant and this trip report will turn out to be even longer than I fear it has already grown!
Fortunately, I met a charming young man with whom I had very pleasant conversation throughout much of the 8:20 flying time to ORD. Were it not for his influence (okay ... I must confess to having been somewhat under his spell ), I fear I would have lost patience and said some very sharp words to the FAs who were treating us so badly.
The meal selections were either breast of chicken or salmon teriyaki, which I had and which was delicious. Our flight chased the sunset all the way until about one hour before landing, so we had some splendid views of Greenland as we flew over its southern tip. Greenland fascinates me with its mountains, glaciers and snow. It all looks absolutely forbidding yet I know there is human life down there somewhere.
We arrived ORD Terminal 5 at about 20:20, just five minutes past schedule. Immigration was a breeze at that hour (I think I spent three minutes in line) and our luggage arrived a few minutes later. Within moments, I exited through Customs and was on my way to ORD's ATS to Terminal 3 and the CTA train station.
Whew! Now my hands are tired and I'm certain all of your eyes are weary from so much reading. Thank you for indulging me; it is easy to get carried away in these trip reports. Just be glad I didn't ride in J or P class or I would have had all that food and wine to detail!
Wishing everyone continued safe travel,
Bill
[This message has been edited by bbinchi (edited 10-09-2001).]
The events of September 11, 2001, shook me like nothing has ever shaken me before. Like many others, I stayed glued to television news reports, staring in utter disbelief of the images broadcast. It depressed me; it broke my heart. The enormity of the loss and the suffering was overwhelming. I wondered when, if ever, I would feel like traveling again.
About two weeks later, a friend wrote to tell me he would be playing an organ recital at St. Paul's Cathedral, in London, on 30 September. At the same time, I had an email from my English friends, who encouraged me to come over and visit. At first, I resisted the notion thinking I was not yet ready. After a few days' deliberation, I reconsidered and made my plans. Here is an account of my brief trip.
Saturday, 29SEP, AA 90Y ORD-LHR and Posthouse Premier Heathrow hotel
AA 90 departs ORD at 08:50. I was dreading the three hour check-in time and thought that perhaps I would not go out so early. However, I made it out to ORD just a few minutes past 06:00 and, upon arrival, I was discouraged to see fairly long check-in lines at the International ticket counter. However, once I found the GLD/PLT/EXP check-in (International First Class) I was the only customer. Check in procedures took no more than five minutes and I was interested to hear the young lady tell me that my checked bag would not be going through the "heavy duty" (my terminology) X-ray machine. She explained that the computer randomly selects passengers whose bags will be screened with the high-powered device. Hmmm. Random? I doubt it.
Off I went to "security," where the only additional measure seemed to be the presence of two uniformed AA agents ensuring that the name on passengers' photo identification matched that on the tickets. Otherwise, it seemed to be business as usual and inspired absolutely no confidence.
Minutes later, I was in the Admirals Club, where I had over two hours to wait for the flight to board. The AC was very deserted although I guess that might not be unusual for 06:20 on a Saturday morning. I spent most of the time online, reading FT, and drinking tea.
Around 08:15, I set off for gate K-16 to board the flight. Talk about deserted! The passenger count (according to the gate agents) was P2/J6/Y35 so everyone had plenty of room to stretch out. I had initially chosen seat 26C but moved after take-off to 38A/B.
With all of the talk about some captains "taking charge" and supposed new rules about having to stay in one's seat unless one needed to use the lavatory (and then only with an FA escort), I wondered what the mood would be on the flight. I was delighted to find it was very relaxed. The captain delivered a warm and hearty greeting with only the request that we respect the boundary of the curtains at the front of our respective cabins. And we had a dynamite in-flight crew, who were exceedingly friendly and made our trip very pleasant.
Shortly after departure, the beverage and meal service began. The two selections were a filet of salmon, with an herbed cream sauce, accompanied by scalloped potatoes and salad or steak with French cut carrots and green beans with a salad. I asked the FA which one she thought was best and she replied, "Well, we have a lot of food today and very few passengers, so why not try them both and you can let me know which one you preferred." Fair enough. Actually, both were pretty good - as Coach meals go, anyway.
The rest of the flight passed quickly (7:10 total flying time) and, to my complete surprise, we arrived early. That has rarely happened among the many occasions on which I have taken AA 90 to LHR. This time, it could not have worked out better: Arrived at the gate at 22:23 (scheduled arrival is 22:35); entered Immigration at 22:33 and was fourth in line; arrived at the baggage belt at 22:36 to find my bag just coming around; exited Customs at 22:38. Amazing! I was on the Hotel Hoppa bus (route H1) at 22:45 and headed to the Posthouse Premier hotel. On the ten minute ride to the hotel I reflected upon the many times I had taken AA 90 when it was late and I was running to make the last Heathrow Express train to London. By contrast, Saturday's experience was totally stress free.
My room at the Posthouse Premier (now also known as the "Holiday Inn London-Heathrow M4, Jct. 4") was very comfortable with a king-size bed (actually, two twins pushed together) and very clean, modern furnishings. The bathroom was outfitted in such dazzling white, pristine porcelain that it was almost blinding. Apparently the hotel has been undergoing refurbishment and they are not yet finished. For example, while the lobby, lounge and restaurants had been remodeled and my room was quite up-to-date, the hallways on the second floor were in desperate need of new paint, wallpaper and carpeting. However, I didn't spend the night in the hallway so it didn't matter to me. For Ł48.00 (a "click-it weekend rate" booked on the Posthouse website), inclusive of VAT, I had a peaceful night's rest in a "superior" room and I was quite happy with the arrangement.
Sunday-Wednesday, 30SEP-3OCT, a Chinese lunch in London, an organ recital and visiting friends in Suffolk
Sunday morning, I enjoyed a delicious and hearty breakfast from the bountiful buffet, checked out of the hotel and took the Hotel Hoppa bus to Terminal 2 at Heathrow, from which I walked to the Heathrow Central station for Heathrow Express. After spending a few minutes fighting with the automated ticketing machines (the touch screens were not working on three of them) I was off to Paddington.
Since I was meeting two friends for lunch at a Chinese restaurant near the Queensway tube station, then heading directly to St. Paul's for the organ recital, my plan was to take my bags to the "Left Luggage" facility at Liverpool Street Station, from which I would depart later that night for the East Anglia countryside. Ah, the best laid plans ... alas, it was not to be. There were industrial actions (sick-out or strike, I'm not sure which) on the Underground that got in the way of my plans. Once on the platform for the Hammersmith & City line, an announcement was made that many trains were being delayed or canceled because of a lack of drivers and we were all encouraged to transfer at the first opportunity to an alternate line. Bummer. I did not want to be late to meet Kerry and Sally for lunch, so I decided to just lug my bags around London and not worry about trying to store them anywhere. I got off the train at the next stop, Edgware Road, and transferred to the District Line, which took me to Nottinghill Gate, where I transferred to the Central Line to Queensway. It was a pain to haul the luggage to/from the restaurant and, later, to/from St. Paul's but I survived.
Lunch was excellent (sorry, I cannot recall the name of the restaurant) and, afterward, we went back to Sally's home in Queen's Park for tea. About 16:00, they drove me to the Nottinghill Gate tube station, where I hopped on the Central Line to St. Paul's.
Christopher Cromar is the young man who played the organ recital at 17:00 and he played it very well, indeed. St. Paul's is one of the most thrilling venues for organ concerts in the world. The instrument itself is very fine and is distributed among several divisions including one high up in the dome. Beyond that, the acoustics of the cathedral are nothing short of astounding. There are no fewer than eight full seconds of reverberation and the effect is thrilling.
After Christopher's recital I joined him and other friends for a drink at the Barbican Centre (the only nearby place we could find open for a drink) then he and I set off for dinner before my train departed. We wound up dining at a Pizza Express (don't laugh; it was very good!) restaurant just a few blocks from Liverpool Street Station and we had a delightful dinner and an excellent bottle of Montepulciano. I understand the Pizza Express chain has sprung up all over England and they are rather well regarded. Christopher and I certainly enjoyed our experience.
At 21:30 it was time to take the train about 75 miles northeast to Suffolk, where I would spend the next few days with Paul Palmer and his partner, Roy. The train (Anglia Railways) was on schedule and Paul and Roy were waiting for me on the platform at the Manningtree station.
For the next few days, I was in the care of these two fine gentlemen, whose hospitality and generosity were beyond what anyone could expect. I so enjoyed their company and the driving tours around Suffolk, where I saw a number of old houses, shops and churches ... many of which dated to the sixteenth century or earlier.
During the three days I spent in Suffolk, it was obvious that both Paul and Roy have earned great respect from their many friends and virtually everyone in their community. I felt very honored to know them and very privileged to have been introduced to a number of other fine people during my visit.
My stay in the country was all too brief and, soon, it was time to depart for home on Wednesday. Since Paul had to work, Roy drove me to Heathrow. We set out late morning for a leisurely drive in the glorious weather and, about two hours and fifteen minutes later, we arrived at LHR's Terminal 3.
After bidding Roy goodbye, I walked in and headed over to AA's ticket counters where nobody was in line at any of the check-in areas. It took fewer than ten minutes to complete the formalities and I was off to security, where I found four people ahead of me in line. I have never seen Heathrow so dead. Within a few minutes, I was on my way to the Admirals Club, where I had about three hours to wait for the boarding call for AA 91.
Wednesday, 3OCT, AA 91Y LHR-ORD
Boarding began at about 17:05 for our departure of 17:35. As with my outbound flight, the load was extremely light: P3/J11/Y35. How I wish I could tell you that the flight was as enjoyable as my outbound journey but, sadly, it just wasn't so. AA 91/3OCT had perhaps the absolute worst in-flight crew I have ever experienced on any flight in the 33 years I have been flying.
Now, let me quickly say that my comments apply only to three of the four FAs working the Coach cabin. I have no idea how the FAs were in Business or First Class. With one notable exception, our FAs were clearly bothered by the thought of working that flight. To hear their comments (and they did nothing to hide their feelings from us) you would have thought they were being put under extreme hardship to serve 35 passengers. It was simply awful and they should have been ashamed of themselves for the blatantly indifferent (if not downright hostile) attitude they presented. I'll stop here or I'll get on a rant and this trip report will turn out to be even longer than I fear it has already grown!
Fortunately, I met a charming young man with whom I had very pleasant conversation throughout much of the 8:20 flying time to ORD. Were it not for his influence (okay ... I must confess to having been somewhat under his spell
), I fear I would have lost patience and said some very sharp words to the FAs who were treating us so badly.The meal selections were either breast of chicken or salmon teriyaki, which I had and which was delicious. Our flight chased the sunset all the way until about one hour before landing, so we had some splendid views of Greenland as we flew over its southern tip. Greenland fascinates me with its mountains, glaciers and snow. It all looks absolutely forbidding yet I know there is human life down there somewhere.
We arrived ORD Terminal 5 at about 20:20, just five minutes past schedule. Immigration was a breeze at that hour (I think I spent three minutes in line) and our luggage arrived a few minutes later. Within moments, I exited through Customs and was on my way to ORD's ATS to Terminal 3 and the CTA train station.
Whew! Now my hands are tired and I'm certain all of your eyes are weary from so much reading. Thank you for indulging me; it is easy to get carried away in these trip reports. Just be glad I didn't ride in J or P class or I would have had all that food and wine to detail!
Wishing everyone continued safe travel,
Bill
[This message has been edited by bbinchi (edited 10-09-2001).]
Oct 6, 2001, 9:03 pm
#2
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: New York, NY, AA 4MM PLT, BA Gold, VS Gold, Hilton Gold, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Platinum, IHG Platinum, CC Gold
Posts: 1,098
Bill,
Thanks for the interesting trip report. I'm flying to EZE in a few weeks, which will be my first flight since August, and I'm hoping to have a crew as good as you had on AA90.
Thanks for the interesting trip report. I'm flying to EZE in a few weeks, which will be my first flight since August, and I'm hoping to have a crew as good as you had on AA90.
Oct 7, 2001, 9:15 am
#4
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 59
"I reflected upon the many times I had taken AA 90 when it was late and I was running to make the last Heathrow Express train to London."
Bill:
As someone who takes AA90 several times a year I most enjoyed your trip report.
I had to laugh at your comment (above) regarding Heathrow Express, as I have been in that situation many times.
I also agree that Pizza Express is surprisingly good!
As AA90 is usually very full I was sad to note how few passengers were on your flight. Hopefully that will change soon.
Sam
Bill:
As someone who takes AA90 several times a year I most enjoyed your trip report.
I had to laugh at your comment (above) regarding Heathrow Express, as I have been in that situation many times.
I also agree that Pizza Express is surprisingly good!
As AA90 is usually very full I was sad to note how few passengers were on your flight. Hopefully that will change soon.
Sam
Oct 7, 2001, 4:38 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: ny.ny.usa
Posts: 144
Very interesting comment about the crew on your RETURN trip. I took American from London to New York in August and the crew in coach were exactly how you described the crew on your flight! They were HOSTILE, UNPLEASANT and INDIFFERENT. I was very surprised at their attitude. Generally in the PAST American crews were very FRIENDLY. What happenned? I thought they had negotiated their contract.
Oct 9, 2001, 5:52 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Great Britain
Posts: 1,442
Bill, I am blushing to my roots. I would only point out one slight point in case anyone comes to visit our beautiful part of England. You actually came to Manningtree Station. We did have a station in Hadleigh, even Roy has never known a working station there. It closed in 1967 under what was known as the Beeching Axe. Oddly, and currently there is talk of reopening the line as a tramway!
I hope that you do not mind me pointing that out. I am deeply touched by your comments, and am incandexcent that it should all end on such a sour note thanks to AA. If the crew feel that they are neither able or willing to demean themselves to work a long haul flight. You are courtesy on two legs, I would not have let them get away with that!
I hope that you do not mind me pointing that out. I am deeply touched by your comments, and am incandexcent that it should all end on such a sour note thanks to AA. If the crew feel that they are neither able or willing to demean themselves to work a long haul flight. You are courtesy on two legs, I would not have let them get away with that!
Oct 9, 2001, 8:27 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP Gold
Posts: 1,093
AirSamurai:
I would enjoy swapping stories about our LHR travels if you're up for meeting sometime - maybe for a drink? (too bad there are no Pizza Express restaurants in Chicago but we do have Giordano's!)
As for Heathrow Express, I have had the doors of the last train close literally on my er, um ... baggage. Glad to hear that AA 90 usually runs full; I would hate to lose that flight.
PAUL PALMER:
Thank you for pointing out my error (now corrected above). You know, I made the same mistake at the ticket window at Liverpool Street station, where I asked the gentleman for a ticket to Hadleigh. He looked at me quizzically then asked if I perhaps meant Manningtree or Ipswich. Must be a mental block with me. Obviously I need much more tea (today I'll brew a pot of PG Tips) to stay alert!
As for the crew on AA 91/3OCT, I had a lengthy conversation about that experience with Customer Relations at AA's Executive Offices, and I believe they will follow up on my concerns.
I would enjoy swapping stories about our LHR travels if you're up for meeting sometime - maybe for a drink? (too bad there are no Pizza Express restaurants in Chicago but we do have Giordano's!)
As for Heathrow Express, I have had the doors of the last train close literally on my er, um ... baggage.
Glad to hear that AA 90 usually runs full; I would hate to lose that flight.PAUL PALMER:
Thank you for pointing out my error (now corrected above). You know, I made the same mistake at the ticket window at Liverpool Street station, where I asked the gentleman for a ticket to Hadleigh. He looked at me quizzically then asked if I perhaps meant Manningtree or Ipswich. Must be a mental block with me. Obviously I need much more tea (today I'll brew a pot of PG Tips) to stay alert!
As for the crew on AA 91/3OCT, I had a lengthy conversation about that experience with Customer Relations at AA's Executive Offices, and I believe they will follow up on my concerns.
Oct 9, 2001, 9:24 am
#9
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 59
Bill:
I would be delighted to get together sometime and swap AA90 and London stories.
I would also like to hear a great deal more about the young man under whose spell you fell on the return portion of your trip.
Sam
I would be delighted to get together sometime and swap AA90 and London stories.
I would also like to hear a great deal more about the young man under whose spell you fell on the return portion of your trip.
Sam