FlyerTalk Forums - RTW with Star in C-class

Better late than never (and only the first part of my trip).

Before starting reading I've to warn you: this trip report IS long. It contains 22 flights on 10 different carriers. I bought a STAR-RTW-ticket in C-class (worth 29.000 miles) and added three additional flights.

I give a short overview what will follow:

Carriers
Air British Columbia
Air Canada
All Nippon Airways
Augsburg Airways
British Midland
Lufthansa
Mexicana
Singapore Airlines
South African
United

Itinerary
STR - FRA - JNB - CPT - JNB - SIN - KIX - HND/NRT - YVR - SEA - LAX - MEX - TGA/VSA - MEX - MID/CUN - MIA - ORL - IAD - MAN - LHR - AMS - FRA - AGB

Planes
A319
A320
A330
A340
B727
B737
B747
B757
B767
Dash 8
Fokker 100

Stuttgart - Frankfurt (STR - FRA)
Lufthansa LH041; 06:25 - 07:20+; 15.10.2001
B737-330; Seat: 4A; C-Class
Registration: D-ABEM (Eberswalde Finow)

It was very foggy in Ulm (as often in autumn) when I stood up at 02:45. 1:15 hours later Mr. Moch (airport transport) picked me up to drive me to the airport in Stuttgart. We arrived at 05:00. The airport seemed to awake slowly at that time. Staff was coming to open the check-in counters. I had to wait until Lufthansa opened. The young lady at the check-in counter was quite surprised about my pile of tickets which she pulled apart just like an accordion. She recommended to go straight through the security before the crowds would arrive. She quickly fastened a priority-sticker on my suitcase. I've never noticed that this sticker had an effect within Germany. At least the luggage owner may feel important when he sees the red sticker. I immediately went to the security. The search was really thorough. Even my shoes were examined. During my trip I had never such a thorough check. That's real Swabian thoroughness.

I went upstairs into the LH Business class lounge. But the smoke inside drove me away. So I waited at the gate until boarding started at 06:05. After the first call I went immediately into the plane to go into my window seat. I hate it if people on window seats enter late on planes with a single aisle and only one door: then a ceremony with standing up and sitting down begins and time passes away.
A Condor waited for boarding next to us. This machine was scheduled to Jerez - one of the many charter flight departing in the early morning.

An FA passed through the cabin with a variety of magazines. Of course I chose "Der Spiegel" on this Monday morning flight. Music by Phil Collins could be heard in the background. The C-cabin had a load of 100%; Y was full, too. Soon the plane taxied to the runway. We started to the east and made a turn to the left around Stuttgart.
An FA came through and offered the usual choice of sandwich: cheese or sausage. The FA then disappears in the Y-cabin and starts the service in the Y-cabin. The sandwiches were in paper bags that had a yellow stripe for the sandwiches with cheese and a blue stripe for the sandwiches with sausage. LH introduced these new bags this month. The two remaining FAs came for beverages.
The approach flight started 15 minutes later. Landing was at 07.00. The plane taxied to a position near terminal 2 from which a bus transfer is necessary. During these bus transfers in the early morning it is possible to see the big Jumbos that arrived about one hour earlier: Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, South African, Air Namibia, Malaysian, Air Canada etc.

I went to the luggage claim in order to see that the priority sticker once again was a dummy. But this time my luggage arrived as the first one - and also as the last one. Nobody else had checked in luggage from STR to FRA. So I picked up the luggage and brought it to the left-luggage office until Wednesday when my holiday will actually start. I had to work the three remaining days in Frankfurt and stayed at an airport hotel.

Frankfurt- Johannesburg (FRA - JNB)
Lufthansa LH572; 22:00 - 08:10; 17.10.2001
B747-430; Seat: 9A; C-Class
Registration: D-ABTE (Sachsen-Anhalt)

Finally it was Wednesday, 17.10.2001. I stood up at 04:00 in the morning. I finished some work and at 07:00 I went to the airport to check in my luggage and to ask for a window seat in an exit row: indeed I could get seat 9A. So I could go to work good-humoured. At 17:00 I said good-bye for the next 3.5 weeks. At the airport I went immediately through security before the passengers for the evening/night flights would arrive. The Business lounge in terminal B was quite empty. There I relaxed and took a shower before boarding began.

Some time ago I tried to get an upgrade to F for that flight. That would have been possible with the miles on my Miles&More account. But there was no chance. The F cabin was full. Indeed all classes had a load of 100%. The route to South Africa must be very profitable for the airlines during high season. LH started recently three flights a week from MUC to JNB.

After I entered the aircraft through the front door I was greeted by two FAs. My seat was right from the door with plenty of leg room. The cabin filled rapidly and soon OJ or champagne was offered. The front door was closed at 21:45. 15 minutes later the captain told us that we had to wait some more minutes for two missing pax. At 22:10 the plane started it's way to runway 18W (Startbahn West). Soon we were airborne and a long climbing began. Light was turned on 20 minutes later and the captain informed us about the plane (weight of 360t, name of the plane is "Sachsen-Anhalt") and supplied a detailed routing (Zurich - Milan - Sizilia - Tripolis - Chad - Zaire - Zambia - Zimbabwe). In the meantime beverage service started. I had a campari with ice, an OJ and almonds. I switched on my favourite program: the airshow.

The LH menus for october were created by Michel Guérard, a famous chef in Paris:

Hors d'oeuvre
Terrine with Eel, Salmon and Angler Fish offered with Sweet and Sour Cucumber Slices

Hot-smoked Breast of Duck served with Ratatouille Salad and Porcini Mushroom Crème

Salad

Frisée and Radicchio presented with Basil Olive Oil Dressing

Bread, Rolls and Butter

Entrees
Lamb Medaillons served on herbed Jus accompanied by Polenta and medley of Beans

Pike Soufflé and Jumbo Shrimb featured with Green Asparagus and Potato Balls

Mushroom Ravioli complemented by Morel Cream Sauce and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Cheese and Dessert
Cheese with Chives, Bresse Blue, Comté and Grapes

Chocolate Coffee Mousse Michel Guérard

Fresh Fruit Salad

Beverages: Champagne
Heidsieck Heritage

Beverages: White Wine
2000 Thüngersheimer Ravensburg Kerner Spätlese trocken, Winzergenossenschaft Thüngersheim, Franken, Germany

2000 Valle de Limari Sauvignon Blanc Coquimbo, Santa Andrea, Chile

Beverages: Red Wine
1997 Vina Cobranza, Bodegas Anano S.A., Rueda, Spain

1997 Chateau d'Aiguilhe, Cotes de Castillon AC, Comtes de Neipperg, France

The menu was really delicious (I had the duck, the lamb with excellent spices, the Chilean white wine and the mousse); metal cutlery was supplied. Two hours after take-off we reached Africa with 970km/h and a cruising height of 10.100m. Tripolis could be seen on the left side. This was the first time I reached Africa. Now it was time for a sleep.

1.5 hours before landing the lights were turned on. The FAs brought hot towels and water. Afterwards the usual caravan moved towards rest rooms until breakfast began:

Breakfast
Forest Berry Compote with Quark

Cold Plate featuring Turkey Pastrami with Dill, Bresaola, Edam, Bresso Cream Cheese and Grapes

Roll and Croissant with Butter and Preserves

Hot Specialities
Omelette filled with Chicken Ragout

Potato Mushroom Soufflé

I chose the omelette for breakfast and I didn't regret it. Time ran very fast. The approach flight began about 30 minutes before landing. We arrived in JNB in time. The approach was from the south to runway 03R. During taxi I could see B747s from BA and KLM, an A340 from CX and of course many planes from SA and BA/Comair. The flight continued later to Capetown: the passengers to CPT were asked not to leave the plane. I was really surprised about this flight. I hadn't expected such an excellent service from LH in C-class. Everything was really perfect. In recent years I flew LH only within Germany.

After immigration I went into Hotel Protea Balalaika in Sandton, Johannesburg. This hotel is also used by crews from Malaysian airlines. I saw several crews arriving and departing. Two nights later I left for Kruger National Park. Spotting wild animals in this park is really great. Time was over soon; I had to continue to Capetown.

Johannesburg - Capetown
South African SA373; 20:00 - 22:10; 22.10.2001
B737-85F; Seat: 4F; C-Class
Registration: ZS-SJJ

I arrived at the airport at 19:15. There was no queue at the check-in counter. I got the boarding pass and went to gate 50. There weren't any people but a monitor that showed boarding for that flight at gate 13. Gate 13 is on the first floor and the way is really long. Some people waited there. At 19:30 an agent told us that boarding is not here but on gate 50. So all the long way back. Grrrr.

Boarding into a bus was already in process. The bus started to the parking position of the B737-800 - my first flight on a next generation B737. SA has 7 rows in C-class with 2 seats on the left side and 3 seats on the right side. The bulkhead seats offer plenty of leg room. I sat on the right side. I found the seats very uncomfortable: head rest was rather a neck pressing and the backrest was too soft. The seat pitch is ok but the seat itself is terrible (I'm neither extremely big nor extremely small: 1.8m).

The choice of newspapers was: take it or take it not. "The star" was the only one offered at 19:50. I took it to have anything to read. OJ, water or champagne were offered. I was quite happy with nobody seating next to me until 19:55. The bus came again with a lot of passengers. Many c-class passengers arrived. "My row" was fully occupied now. The load in C-class was about 90%.

Push-back was at 20:04. The taxi to runway 3L began. Take-off needed about 30 sec and soon we disappeared in the clouds.
The lights were turned on 8 min after take-off. Hot towels were distributed and beverage service started. I took a red wine (Pinotage) which I could taste before. The wine was really good so the FA filled the glass.
TV screens were dropped from overhead and showed mainly short stories with jokes.

Meal service started soon with choice of chicken, lamb or vegetarian. I preferred the chicken that was served on a tray with salad, rice, spinach, carrots, a wrapped roll, crackers, a mini-cheese, some chocolates and a small cake. A lot to eat: more quantity than quality. At least we got metal cutlery.

The flight deck announced decent at 21:42. We flew over the sea and made a turn in order to approach from the south. Landing was at 22:05.
There was a short bus transfer to the terminal. Soon the bags arrived. I really have to point out that the bags arrived very, very fast in Johannesburg and in Capetown.

The FAs were first-class, the food below average and the seats ... South African isn't a member of star alliance. Therefore I had to buy a separate round-trip ticket JNB - CPT. It was possible to credit miles to my Miles&More-account: so SA was my first choice. The other possibility was to fly with BA/Comair. The ticket price was almost the same. Nationwide Airlines would have been cheaper but didn't have so many connections.

The days in Capetown were over. I had a good time with sight-seeing and the well-known table cloth on the table mountain. My next destination was Tokyo with a routing via Johannesburg, Singapore and Osaka.

Capetown - Johannesburg (CPT - JNB)
South African SA318; 09:30 - 11:25; 25.10.2001
B737-85F; Seat: 2A; C-Class
Registration: ZS-SJI

I learned on the outward flight that the first row on the left side is the sunny seat (plenty of legroom, only two seats). So I tried to get a window seat on the first row (first row on the left side is numbered with 2; first row on the right side is numbered with 1). I arrived at about 8:00 at check-in and I got it: seat 2A. I also asked the agent to check my bags through to Tokyo. That wasn't possible. He only was able to check the bags through to Osaka. In this case I preferred to checked-in the bags to JNB where I wanted to try again.

I had a short look into the business class lounge. The lounge was big and offered a lot of drinks. Cookies and chocolate bars were available. I couldn't see any other food.

Boarding started at 9:00 with a bus transfer. Soon OJ or water were offered. The newspaper "Cape Times" was available. A Malaysian B747 arrived from a short stop in JNB. I also spotted a British Airways B777 that arrived in the early morning directly from London; BA also operates a flight from London to JNB. The other airlines (LH, SQ, MH) fly to JNB and continue with the same plane to CPT.

After boarding was finished there were only 6 passengers in C-class (27 seats remained unoccupied). I sat on seat 2A, a Japanese man sat on seat 2C next to me. Obviously we both knew that the first row on the left side was best. The man on seat 2C seamed to be one of the travellers preferring aisle and myself preferring window. Soon he changed to the first row on the right side (aisle). The two seats next to him were available, too. The seats were as uncomfortable as in the outward flight. (SA wants to get rid of their B737-800 according to the current edition of Airliner World (1/2002)).

The way to the runway was very short. We reached the run-way at 9:34 and needed 22 sec for take-off. I sat on the wrong side to have a view towards table mountain. After a left turn the airport could be seen clearly.

Soon service started with hot towels and beverages. TV screens were dropped from overhead and showed the same program as on the outward flight. The FAs served breakfast at 10:00: yoghurt, toast with tomato and sausage, chocolates. There was no alternative choice. Quantity was less than on the outward flight but the quality was above average this time. Metal cutlery was available. The chocolates and myself waited for some coffee to finish breakfast. The OJ was really great with a lot of fruit marks and it wasn't too sweet. So OJ became my favourite drink until landing at 11:25. A bus drove us to the terminal.

Again the bags arrived quickly. I took them and went to the Singapore Airlines check-in counter in order to try to check the bags through to Tokyo. The agent gave ok for the bags but not for me: he printed a boarding pass for the first leg to SIN only. There I had to ask for the boarding passes for my next legs to Tokyo.

Johannesburg - Singapore (JNB - SIN)
Singapore Airlines SQ405; 14:40 - 06:40+; 25.10.2001
B747-412; Seat: 14A; C-Class
Registration: 9V-SME

I had a lot of time before boarding so I went into Silver Kris lounge. The staff was very friendly. The choice of beverages was great. You could also get small sandwiches, fresh fruit and cakes.

Boarding started late from gate 3 at 14:15. I went upstairs and was greeted by two FAs. The male FA showed me the way to my seat. Some minutes later I got the usual pre-flight drink (champagne) and was offered a variety of newspapers and magazines. I chose the "Straits Times". I was asked about my preferred after-take-off drink and order a Silver Kris Cocktail.

Soon the Japanese man which I had seen on the flight from CPT arrived on upper deck. He had again a seat on the aisle with someone sitting next to him. Some minutes later an FA talked to him and both went downstairs. Most likely he got an own row on the lower deck. The load on upper deck was almost 60%. The seat next to me was unoccupied. The load in Y class was low, too. Some passengers were already onboard. Today the plane arrived from Durban.
Every Thursday and Saturday the flight starts in Durban. On Tuesday and Friday the flight starts in Capetown. On Sunday the flight starts in Johannesburg and makes an additional stop on Mauritius.
The passengers from Durban to Johannesburg were offered a refreshment:

light bites
Walnut bread with roasted beef and mustard mayonnaise, leafy salad and chef's dressing

Croissant with smoked salmon and cream cheese, mixed salad with vinaigrette

hot beverages

Coffee - Tea
Rooibos tea

The captain welcomed the passengers at 14:40. He told us that three pax were missing and we had to wait some time. Three pilots were onboard because of an expected flight time of 9:20h. He announced turbulence after take-off.

The plane started to taxi to the runway at 14:58. Take-off took about 60 sec and was followed by a right turn. There was some turbulence but not as strong as expected. The crew started service 15 min later. 3 FAs worked on upper deck.
I got mixed Nuts and the ordered Silver Kris Cocktail. SQ offered several Cocktails - also non-alcoholic ones. Soon we left mainland towards Madagascar and Mauritius. We cruised at an height of 10.100m and a speed of 948km/h.

appetisers
Seafood terrine

salad
Seasonal mixed salad

entrees
Sauteed fish with shellfish coulis on bed of wild rice, snap peas and carrot

Wok fried filled of beef in black bean paste, Seasonal vegetables, Steamed rice

Pan fried supreme of chicken in madeira wine sauce, Seasonal vegetables medley, Dauphinoise potatoes

cheese
Selection of cheese with garnishes

fruit
A selection of fresh fruit

dessert
Ice cream with fruits compote

hot beverages
Coffee - Tea
Rooibos tea

Beverages: cocktails
special cocktail
Golden Spice

cocktails
Singapore Sling
Silver Kris Sling

Gin Fizz
Cloud Nine
Screwdriver
Bloody Mary
Daiquiri
Red or White Wine Cooler
Hazelnut Spritzer

non-alcoholic cocktails
Citrus Royale
Tropical Sparkle
Orange Cooler
Fruit Spritzer
Millennium 2001
Sunrise Surprise

Beverages: champagne
duval leroy blanc de chardonnay 1995

Beverages: white wines
l'ormarins sauvignon blanc 2000

montagny 1er cru 1998 labouré-roi

Beverages: red wines
rive barbera d'ast superiore 1997

chianti superiore docg 1997 poggio al casone

chateau d'agassac 1998

Beverages: port
taylor's late bottled vintage 1995 port

I ordered the sauteed fish and the French red wine. Metal cutlery was supplied. The food was good - but nothing special to mention. The wine tasted very good though an white wine would have been the normal choice for the fish. After the main dish I continued with cheese. An FA offered cheese from a cart. He had whole parts of different cheese and cut small pieces. The cheese tasted really good. I also got a Port and some fruit.
I finished with a cappuccino. SQ offered real coffee/cappuccino and not a black water as many other airlines. SQ has a cappuccino machine on board. The dessert wasn't offered.
Duty free was announced and I ordered some items. Only the selected watch was available - all other items weren't. The FA suggested to order the missing items per mail.

I found the temperature quite high during night compared to other flights. I wore short-poor sweaters so it was quite ok. I couldn't sleep for a long time but suddenly ...
I woke up at 4:45 - 1:45h before landing. Head wind was quite strong at the moment - so the cruising speed was 887km/h only (cruising height: 11.300m). 45min later light was turned on and breakfast was served.

juices
A choice of apple, tomato and freshly squeezed orange

fruit
A selection of fresh fruit

light starters
Cereal with low fat or full cream milk

wholesome beginnings
Golden pancakes with maple syrup, glazed tomato, chicken sausage and scrambled egg

Braised egg noodles with prawns, fish and vegetables

Omelette "Nature", Broiled bacon and sausage, Grilled tomato with parsley, Hash brown potatoes

from the bakery
Assorted breakfast rolls
Butter - Fruit preserve

hot beverages
Coffee - Tea
Rooibos tea

I ordered the noodles but they've gone out. So I tried the omelette which was the wrong choice. The sausages looked very fat. I couldn't see this gloss on the sausages this morning. I tried the omelette but it was dry and without any taste. I really couldn't eat it though I was hungry. So breakfast was finished for me very soon. I also found the time for breakfast quite short (1 hour before landing light was turned on) but today it didn't matter.

Landing was at 6:32. As always it was a pleasure to fly with SQ. The Ultimo seats in Raffles class were very comfortable. Economy measures and service cuts were obvious. The FAs worked hard and systematic.

In the meantime I got very hungry. So my plan was to get boarding passes for the next flights (to Tokyo via Osaka), then store my cabin luggage in a lounge and refill my stomach.

I went to the transfer desk in terminal 1. The staff told me that they couldn't print the boarding passes now. I would have to wait until 20:30. I went upstairs to the ANA lounge and was disappointed: opening time at 20:30. So I wanted to try the Silver Kris lounge which was in terminal 2. The way was in vain. I wasn't allowed to enter. Ok, way back to terminal 1 where I left my cabin luggage in a left-luggage office. Now I was ready for breakfast.

Changi airport offers a free sight-seeing tour. I joined the morning tour and was glad to see some places again. A short river cruise was included, too.

Back at the airport I had plenty of time to spot planes (Bouraq - I didn't know this airline before; Burma International with new colours which remembered me of my last holiday in Myanmar, and many others that are well-known), take a shower at the airport hotel, do some surfing in the Internet, ...

Punctually at 20:29:59 I was present at the transfer desk. I got a boarding pass to Osaka only and the desired invitation into Club ANA lounge. The lounge is operated together with EVA (different opening hours). A variety of beverages were available. But nothing to eat (except packed cookies, nuts, ...). The lounge was used by passengers to Tokyo (direct flight) and Osaka.

Singapore - Osaka (SIN - KIX)
All Nippon Airways NH112; 23:25 - 06:40+; 26.11.2001
B767-381(ER); Seat: 5A; C-Class
Registration: JA8323

The plane arrived today from Osaka. On Saturday and Sunday the flight is operated from Dubai via Singapore to Osaka. Boarding started at 23:00. The plane is configured with two classes (C and Y). There's no F-class on this route.

The load was about 60% in C-class. I was the only non-Asian passenger. The seats were rather old but comfortable enough. The seat next to me was free. There were no personal TV screens but a big bread-crumb on the floor to watch.

A variety of newspapers and magazines were offered. I took "The Economist". 4 female FAs worked in C-class. I liked their costumes in dark grey colours with fine white business pinstripes. Firstly I hadn't an overview how many FAs worked in C-class. Constantly another FA came on high speed and brought or asked something. It remembered me of hard-working ants.

A menu was handed out. An FA asked if I prefer to be waked for breakfast next morning at 5:00. I agreed and gave my breakfast order. I got a glass of champagne and the FA told me the name of the champagne during she gave me the glass.

Push-back was at 23:20 and we reached the runway at 23:32. 5 minutes later we were airborne. Light was on during take-off that lasted about 40 sec. Soon crew and flight deck made several announcements. During the whole flight I was quite surprised about the many announcements they made. I was just glad that no Karaoke started. At 23:50 light was dimmed. I anticipated the worst: I had another look into menu. Indeed. Definitely. No dinner.

Most passengers prepared for sleep while a few waited for service. A few minutes later the FAs got sign that they could start service safely. Towels were offered. I ordered a Bloody Mary and the Handy Theatre. The sound was excellent and also the display.

Snack was offered. The mouthfuls tasted delicious. Now I switched to a dry sake (Mine no Hakubai). The FA offered to make it hot. She also suggested to try the other sakes what I denied. One sake was enough. I got some rice crackers to fill up my stomach. I fall asleep at 2:00.

Beverages: champagne
Laurent-Perrier Brut

Beverages: White Wines
Mâcon-Villages '99, France Bourgogne

Pepperwood Grove Chardonnay '99, U.S.A. California

Beverages: Red Wines
Château de Panigon '97, France Bordeaux

Bourgogne Non Filtré '95, France Bourgogne

Beverages: Japanese Sakes
Wakatake-onikoroshi

Bishounen

Mine no Hakubai

I woke up at 5:00. Immediately an FA offered apple tea or Oolong tea. Three FAs wore differently coloured blouses: green, lilac or dark-pink. They wore an additional overall in the same colour and with white stripes for breakfast service. Funny.

I took the menu "Japanese style" though I didn't have any idea what I ordered. After eating I still didn't know what I had. It tasted really good. The food looked very, very delicious and was served on wonderful china. I had the choice of sticks or plastic cutlery. With sticks I would still sit in the plane and eat. So I had to take the plastic. A lot of small packages with different (soya) sauces were on the tray, too. It seamed like a science when to use which sauce. I made my own mix and enjoyed the food. But be warned: I tried coffee that tasted horrible and changed immediately to Oolong tea.

Menu Japanese Style

Appetizer
Marinated Salmon
Grilled Beef
Half-Dried Saury Fish
Preserved Herring Roe
Sweetened Eggs

Japanese Delicacies
Simmered Prawn & Gelatinous Konnyaku in Sesame Flavoured Soy Sauce
Assortment of Japanese Pickles

Oshinogi
Japanese White Wheat Noodles

Hot Entree
Japanese Okayu with Simmered Tiny Mushrooms

Soup
Miso Soup & Garniture

Green Tea

Menu Western Style

Appetizer
Smokes Salmon with Lemon
Marinated Shrimp
Petite Salad

Hot Entree
Pasta & Vegetable Soup Minestrone Style

Fresh Fruits

Table Roll

Coffee or Tea

In the lavatories were plastic bottles with purified water for cleaning one's teeth. That's a fantastic, sanitary offer.

The captain informed at 6:02 that we would land in about 30min. The video screen showed stretching exercises with three female FAs wearing the well-known green, lilac or dark-pink blouses. No overall for the exercises but therefore a scarf in the same colour.

All FAs were very, very friendly, hard-working and helpful (though I didn't like their "service" of opening the lavatory every time I approached). The quality of the food was good. There was no dinner (only some small mouthfuls), breakfast was good. The interior of the plane was quite old, the cleaning wasn't thorough.

Osaka - Tokyo (KIX - HND)
All Nippon Airways NH142; 08:30 - 09:45; 27.11.2001
B747-481(D); Seat: 2A; F-Class
Registration: JA8961

Why to fly from Singapore to Tokyo via Osaka and not directly? There are two reasons:
1.) KIX is an interesting airport built on an artificial island.
2.) I wanted to fly on a B747-400D. Boeing constructed B747-400Ds for short routes. These planes don't have winglets because the planes are intended for short routes (1-2 hours) with many passengers. The winglets wouldn't make sense on short routes but otherwise the weight is less and more passengers could board.

Boarding started at 8:10 and was very efficient. F-class passengers were offered newspapers (I got the "Japan Times"), headsets, pillows and socks.
Advertisements were shown on the video screen: the ANA Mileage program and a fashion show next to boarding gates. Push-back was at 8:30. Take-off was 10min later and lasted 30sec. In the meantime the inboard cameras were on and showed the ground. After some turns I had a great view to KIX. A really impressive island.

The load in F-class was about 40%. One female FA worked in the F-cabin. She started service soon and offered a lunch box with fruits, salad, bread, prawns, etc. Plastic cutlery and an OJ were in the lunch box, too. The food was really great. She came several times for beverage service.

Some turbulence occurred. Immediately the FA brought covers for the beverages.

At 9:25 the approach flight started. The inflight camera was turned on again. During the flight we saw "Mr. Bean". The inflight camera provided nice sights to landing beaconing in the water.

The flight was really first class. Food was excellent and sumptuously. One of the very best short flights I ever had.

Tokyo - Vancouver (NRT - YVR)
Air Canada AC56; 19:00 - 10:35; 29.10.2001
A340-313(X); Seat: 1A; C-Class
Registration: C-GDVW

Check-in started with the usual luggage check. There was no queue at check-in but many problems with tax and fare recalculation (for the last flights with ANA). The check-in was handled by ANA. After 20min I could continue. They told me that they would inform me about their recalculation results at the gate (there I had to pay Narita airport tax). I got an invitation into Club ANA lounge. The lounge offered the usual drinks. I found the lounge rather small.

There were several passport checks during my way from the check-in into the plane. The last check was in the jetway. The agent even asked me about my name. 34 years ago I learned my name by heard and still know it. I gave the correct answer and could continue to the last luggage check. Finally I was able to board.

Many passengers were already on board. After all these security checks I was quite late. The FAs already started pre-flight service. I went to the first row in order to go into seat 1A. Someone was sitting there; 1C was occupied, too. The cabin was configured 2-2-2. So I offered to sit into the first row in the middle. I speculated that both seats in the middle of the first row would be unoccupied (two seats for one window seat; that seamed acceptable). In the meantime an FA arrived. She excused and told me that the complete first row in the middle was occupied - as usually - by newspapers. She got some laughs from the passengers for the reply.

The flight was originally scheduled with a B767. AC changed to an A340 two weeks before departure. The first time I recognised the change was during my Internet surfing session in Singapore. Maybe AC foresaw the heavy load in C-class with high yield passengers. The load in C-class was about 80% without counting the newspapers (maybe they possessed C-class tickets).
The passenger seamed to feel ashamed for occupying 1A. He switched to 2A just like a rocket. The FA showed me where I could store my cabin luggage. The overhead luggage storage on the left side of the plane was already full.
Soon I got a champagne and could chose from two different newspapers. My neighbour and I arranged to take both so we could exchange the newspapers. The flight deck greeted the passengers and informed about a flight time of 7.5 hours with an estimated arrival time of 9:40. That means 1 hour earlier than scheduled!

The seats were big and comfortable. The button for the light was on the arm. So you had to pay attention not to hit the button. My neighbour hit several times the button with his elbow and so the light turned off.

Push-back was at 19:00. 10min later we reached the runway. Take-off lasted 45 sec. The cabin lights were left on. The FAs got sign to start their service 7 minutes later. A female FA came and asked if I would like to switch to a middle seat. I thanked and wanted to keep my window seat.

The TV screens were quite big and films start individually. But what I really missed was the airshow. I hardly could believe it. There was really no airshow available.

Dinner
Salmon Teriyaki with Lotus Root Appetizer

Beef Medaillons with Peppercorn Sauce, Wild Rice Panaché, Buttered Broccoli Florets and Baby Carots
or
Grilled Fillet of Snapper with Oyster Sauce, Parslied Fried Rice, Stir-fried Oriental Vegetables

Selection of Cheese and Sliced Fresh Fruit

Lemon Cheese Mousse
or
Ice Cream Trio

Dinner Japanese Style
Sushi with Tamari
Ebi Kinuta Maki - Shrimp with White Radish
Ebi Sayori Tazunamaki - Shrimp and Japanese Needlefish Roll
Tako Yawaraka Ni - Soft Boiled Octopus
Unagi Kenchin - Fried Eel

Nori Shimeji - Seaweed and Shimeji Mushroom
Mushi Dori Sabaki - Steamed Chicken
Braised Broccoli

Hosomaki Yuba Oranda Ni - Braised Dried Bean Curd
Ebi Shiba Ni - Braised Shrimp
Sando Mama - Green Beans

Inaniwa Udon - Udon Noodles with Egg Julienne

Pickles

Amadi Sakamushi - Braised Tilefish

Young Corn

Sengiri Takenoko - Bamboo Shoots Julienne

Steamed Rice

Clear Egg Soup

Japanese Sweets

We got a wine list containing more than 30 wines on 10 pages! After I selected a wine and ordered it, the FA told me that I could forget the wine list. Only the four wines on the cart were available. After all I selected a white wine (Inniskillin).
Later I ordered a red wine (Californian Zinfandel) and the menu western style with the beef. The food was tasty. I also liked the 4 different kinds of cheese and the port wine. I finished with the Mousse, some coffee and a Baileys with ice.
The FAs did a last round with some sweets and a bottle of water. The light was dimmed at 5:40 (Canadian time).

At 8:00 I woke up and I went into the Galley. Light was turned on now. I could talk to the leading FA. She was born in Cologne and emigrated 40 years ago to Canada. Today she had her final flight after working 37 years for Air Canada.

After the talk I had to hurry to go back into my seat for breakfast. I chose the breakfast western style with the omelette.

Breakfast
Orange and Exotic Juices

Fresh Fruit

Breakfast Pastries

Yogurt

Spanish Omelette, Parisienne Potatoes, Back Bacon, Turned Zucchini
or
Crêpes filled with Apple Compote, Back Bacon, Peach Slices

Breakfast Japanese Style
Orange and Exotic Juices

Fresh Fruit Appetizer

Shiragayu - White Gruel with Pickled Plum

Okayuno Tomo

Miso Soup

Konomono - Pickles

Green Tea

We reached the Canadian mainland at 9:25. On the left side was Vancouver. The view was great. What a luck I didn't switch into the middle seats. The plane flew to the east, made some turns and then approached 26L from the east. The flight deck told about the retiring FA and invited the passengers to join the flight deck when the plane arrived at the gate.

Landing was at 9:47. The passengers soon de-boarded. I had a lot of time and wanted to say good-bye to the FA and intended to have also a view into the cockpit. The cockpit door was opened immediately after the plane had reached the gate. I had several gift-boxes with chocolates from Münchner Oktoberfest (that had ended a few days before I left for holiday) with me. I gave one of the boxes to the FA who was very, very happy (some tears came out of her eyes). Of course she recognised the Bavarian (blue and white) colours on the gift-box.
I don't know what happened afterwards. I must have got an Alzheimer-attack because I left the plane after saying good-bye to the crew. Later I remembered that I forgot to go into cockpit.

It's very difficult to summarise this flight. On the one hand were some very dull minuses like the newspapers or the wine list. On the other hand the crew was very friendly and talkative. The manners were professional and also typical North-American: quite relaxed what I really appreciate. Air Canada has only two classes (C- and Y-, no F-class). Normally two-class do have an outstanding C-class. This C-class was really not outstanding.

Vancouver - Seattle (YVR - SEA)
Air Canada AC1547; 12:25 - 13:20; 29.10.2001
De Havilland DHC-8 Series 300; Seat: 4A; Y-Class
Registration: ?

The next flight was operated by Air British Columbia. This flight has only one class: Y-class.
I had some time, so I went into Marple Leaf Lounge. I showed my upcoming flights and had no problems entering the lounge (because I connected to an intercontinental flight to Mexico). I enjoyed the stay in the lounge with free Internet access, a variety of drinks and some snacks.

Boarding started at 12:15 with a short walk to the Dash-8. The seat next to me was occupied. It's sometimes very strange why two people are sitting next to each other though there's only a light load and many rows are free. The load was about 50%.

The plane started to the runway at 12:31. 10 minutes later we were airborne and another 4 min later the FA started service. During the short flight she came twice with OJ/water/apple juice/tea/coffee and pretzels/pastry. That' really remarkable.

The view over the lakes was fantastic. The trees already showed autumnal character with different green/red/yellow colours.

The flight deck announced decent at 13:04. Soon we reached Seattle. We flew directly over Seattle with view over the Skyline. The skyscrapers in the central business distict, the city hall and the kingdome passed on the left side.
A few minutes later I could see Everett - the Boeing plant - on the left side. We landed on 16L. A Northwest DC10 started on 16R.

This was a very short, great scenic flight. The FA worked very hard and was very friendly. I will remember Air British Columbia in future.

I took my luggage and went to check-in. The agent could check the luggage through to Tuxtla Gutierrez. Great.

Seattle - Los Angeles (SEA - LAX)
United UA1827; 19:05 - 21:38; 29.10.2001
B757; Seat: 2D; F-Class
Registration: ?

There was a big crowd waiting for security check. There were only three lines. The waiting time was long. After security I went into Red Carpet Club. I had no problems entering RCC after I showed the ticket to Mexico. The lounge offered some beverages - and that was it. There was a bar where you had to buy alcoholic drinks. I got a Baileys for 5US$. I found the lounge quite disappointing.
After some time I went to the gate and boarded flight UA2177. Boarding was finished in time. The F-cabin was full.

An FA took the microphone at 16:00: "I have two news. A good one and a bad one. The bad one first: we must cancel flight UA2177 due to technical problems. The good one: we have a new plane for you that'll be ready at 17:00".
I went off the plane and turned to the gate where the boarding passes were changed. Originally I was booked on UA2177 from Seattle to San Francisco (16:00 - 17:59) and then UA2065 from San Francisco to Los Angeles (19:00 - 20:26). I received a new boarding pass with a direct flight to Los Angeles on UA1827 now. I went back into the lounge. The agent asked what happened. I told him about the cancelled flight. The agent regretted and asked about my new connection. I told him about the direct flight and he congratulated immediately on the solution. Ok, he couldn't know: 99% of the people would have been glad about the direct flight - but I would have preferred two flights instead of one as I had intended.
The lounge filled up more and more with a big crowd watching TV (motor racing). Finally it was time to go to the next flight.

Boarding started at 18:30. An FA offered OJ or water. Three seats were unoccupied: the seat next to me and the row in front of me. Push-back was in time. The light was dimmed. The plane reached the runway at 19:13. Take-off took 29sec. The FAs started service 10min later. I got an OJ and a party mix. Channel 9 was available. Dinner was served. I chose the chicken that was served with rice, paprika, two pancakes and a pastry. The food was really good. A plastic knife was on the tray; the other cutlery was metal. The chicken was already cut: I didn't have to use the plastic knife. After dinner I was very tired and had a short sleep.

We landed at 21:28. Gate 71B wasn't free, so we had to wait until 21:42. I went to the luggage claim in order to check if my bags were there. All was ok; the bags didn't come. I had a bus transfer to Bradley international. There was no queue at check-in that was operated by very friendly Mexicana staff. I got a boarding pass for the flight to Mexico City. The flight was scheduled by a B757 but operated by a B727.

Los Angeles - Mexico City
Mexicana MX137; 23:55 - 05:40; 29.10.2001
B727-200; Seat: 3F; C-Class
Registration: ?

The time was too short to go into a lounge. I went directly to the gate. Boarding started at 23:15. There were only two passengers in C. Y seamed to be full. The seats were comfortable - but nothing special. The interior looked very clean and was carefully maintained. The door was closed at 23:50. We were airborne 20min later and started before a B747 from SQ.

We got a snack (2 sandwiches, salad, chocolate bar). I asked for a wine. The FA showed me two closed bottles and excused. She had no cork-screws on board because of safety reasons. So she couldn't open the bottles. A Whisky was available and also some water. Later I asked for several other things that weren't available. The FA seamed to be very sorry about that and suddenly gave me an amenity kid. The black bag had an imprint: "Mexicana - A star alliance member" and contained: comb, tooth-brush, tooth-paste, eye-shades and shoe-polish.

The light was dimmed soon. I was very tired after all the flights. The flight was too short in order to get sufficient sleep. 2 hours later the approach flight started. We landed at 5:08.

The FAs were friendly and did their best to make the flight comfortable. Savings were obvious with the wine bottles and the small snack.

I went into Executiva lounge. The lounge had free internet access, offered a variety of drinks and also some food (cereals, fruit). I was really impressed about the lounge. The staff was very, very friendly and helpful.

Mexico City - Tuxtla Gutierrez
Mexicana MX672; 12:40 - 02:10; 30.10.2001
Fokker 100; Seat: 1A; C-Class
Registration: XA-SGE

Boarding started at 8:30. The 8 seats in C-class were occupied, Y seamed to be full, too. We were offered an OJ and some newspapers before take-off. One FA was working in C. After take-off she offered water or OJ in a glass. We also got nuts in a small bowl. I enjoyed the view over the mountains.
The flight was rather uneventful. After all the flights (NRT - YVR - SEA - LAX - MEX - TGZ) I looked forward to sight-seeing in Mexico.

We landed in Tuxtla Gutierrez in time. At the end of the runway the plane turned and drove on the runway back in order to reach the terminal. A small, clearly arranged airport.

Villahermosa - Mexico City
Mexicana MX672; xx:xx - xx:xx; 01.11.2001
Fokker 100; Seat: 1F; C-Class
Registration: XA-TKR

I enjoyed my time in Chiapas, especially: Sumidero canyon and Mayan city near Palenque.

The plane arrived at 12:15. Boarding started 30min later. All FAs were in the Y-cabin to greet the passengers. There were 2 passengers in C; Y seamed pretty full. Some newspapers were still on my seat. Soon an FA came and asked what I’d like to drink. I ordered an OJ.
The way to the runway is very short on these small airports. An FA ran to her seat shortly before take-off. I didn’t expect anything to eat because the flight time was the same as from MEX to TGZ a few days ago. I was surprised when an FA came with a tray containing a sandwich, some paprika, salad and a chocolate bar. I tried carefully the paprika. They weren’t hot. The snack was really tasty.

In the meantime we passed the Golf of Mexico and I read in the inflight magazine. Mexicana presents the fleet of the Star alliance. I missed the A340. They also list a B737-800 and no other B737s. There’s still some work to improve the charts.
An FA walked with a child through the C-cabin. A few minutes later they came back with a big smile in the boy’s face. Maybe his first cockpit visit.

The flight became bumpy now. The FAs sat down some time. We reached Mexico City with many colourful houses. The airport is in the middle of the town. After landing the way to our final gate 4 was quite long with many stops because of high traffic.

Mexico City - Merida
Mexicana MX609; 20:30 - 22:15; 03.11.2001
B727-200; Seat: 3F; C-Class
Registration: ?

I arrived 3 hours before departure at the airport. I couldn’t check-in at that time and so I took my luggage into the lounge. That’s really unusual if check-in is only possible two hours before departure on the HOME-BASE airport.
The lounge was quite empty: today was Saturday and the day before was a national holiday (Día de los Muertos): commemoration day of the deceased. Many Mexicans disguised and brought lots of flowers to the churchyards.

Check-in was quite quick. Boarding started late because the load was quite low in C (2 passengers only. Later 2 Mexicana staff came) and Y. During these days hurricane “Michelle” passed over the eastern part of Mexico. The flight was given ok to start (and there were only a few bumps).
Push-back was in time.“My” seat 3F is the bulk seat on the right side of the cabin. So the safety demo was done twice in C-class: the first time near row 1 and the second time near row 3.

Soon we were airborne and service started. We got a light dinner with salad (carrots and peas), sandwiches and a chocolate bar. The food was again very tasty.

We arrived at 21:58. Rain was pouring down and humidity was high. The luggage arrived quickly. The next days I stayed in Merida to visit Mayan cities: Uxmal and Chichen Itza.

Cancun - Miami
Mexicana MX309; 11:55 - 14:30; 06.11.2001
B727-200; Seat: 3A; C-Class
Registration: ?

The hotel woke me up 2 hours too early. I ordered a wake-up call at 7:00 and got the call at 5:00. I didn't notice that they called too early until I went to breakfast: breakfast room was closed. I waited until breakfast opened and went afterwards to the airport in the hope of spotting planes. The airport wasn't busy at that time, so I was at the gate very soon. There I noticed that the airport was boring: no lounge, only a few flights in the morning, no Internet access.

At least the plane arrived in time at 11:00. Again the scheduled B757 has been replaced by a B727. Boarding started half an hour later. There were 4 passengers in the C-cabin; the load was low in Y, too. OJ was offered before take-off.

The captain announced a flight time of 1:25, sunshine in Miami and some delay because of high traffic. Nothing happened in the morning and now we were waiting after Apple vacations Ryan'Intl and a smaller plane. 2 Allegro, 1 American, 1 Aerocaribe and 1 private jet arrived at that time. We took off at 13:16. Take-off lasted 30sec. Some passengers already reclined their seats before take-off. Rain was coming down. The sight over the blue sea was short.

The female FA working in the C-cabin started service at 13:21. She offered food on a tray: salad + croutons + cheese, Italian dressing, chicken + sauce, potato, carrots, 2 rolls, butter, pudding, marzipan.

The butter was the hottest food on the tray. The chicken and the sauce were much colder. The sauce wasn't even fluid. The roll tasted terrible. I got red wine that tasted very good.

In the meantime the sky was clear. The approach flight started at 14:05. I enjoyed the view over the Everglades with a variety of slightly different colours of green, blue and brown. Pure nature - no civilisation was in sight.

The landing was at 14:22. We de-boarded next to a B747-200 from Lufthansa that arrived a few minutes earlier from Frankfurt.

Luggage claim was rather quick. I took the Super-Shuttle to Miami Beach where I stayed the night.

The final part will take some more time. I hope I can finish it at the end of the week.