Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Community > Trip Reports
Reload this Page >

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Selling Postcards at Airline Collectible Conventions

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Selling Postcards at Airline Collectible Conventions

Old Jun 18, 2019, 10:30 am
  #46  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,139
Originally Posted by flyingmad
Thank you for yet another wonderful trip report Seat2A, it was a delight to read. Thank you also for the memories, I loved the first photo of the Air New Zealand DC8 First Class service. My first international flight in 1972 was on a TE DC8 Sydney - Christchurch. It was very exciting for a 9 year old and an extra bonus, I was allowed to hand out sweets prior to landing! Warmest regards from Sydney.
Thank you, flyingmad ^ Air New Zealand was always one of my favorite airlines - even before I first ever flew with them. The first time I saw a picture of Air New Zealand's DC-8 was in a Four Winds Travel brochure covering South Pacific vacations. I loved the livery and the description of taking the early evening flight from Los Angeles to Tahiti. That would've been about 1970 when I was a schoolboy mailing off for all kinds of brochures, pictures and postcards. Eleven years later, I logged my first flight with Air New Zealand, in First Class aboard a DC-10 between Los Angeles and Tahiti. That flight was everything I'd hoped it would be - from the huge lambswool covered seats to the amazing dinner service. It remains one of my all-time favorite First Class flights.

Originally Posted by jmj9905
Seat 2A another great trip report. Don't ever wonder about an audience for your written trip reports. I too am an old timer and remember the "Good Old Days". My first international F was on American from DFW to Gatwick. in the mid 80's. They served cavier, Coquilles Saint-Jacques, and had a chef's special. It was truly amazing. There are many good things about international F today including the lie flat beds. But, for me, the graciousness and civility is long gone. I look forward to your TR on your 2017 trip to Australia. We are planning on returning there in 2021.
Thanks for the memories, jmj9905 ^ It's hard to believe that once upon a time American offered a world class First Class service. As for that TR, it'll likely be a few months before I can get around to completing it. I'll try to get a bit at a time.

Originally Posted by pjs
Always a pleasure to read. I don't eat olives either, but my wife is the beneficiary of this every time we travel together. By the way, I believe the CCR boardroom chairs are from the actual Concorde.
Thanks, pjs ^. I shudder to think of how much money worth of olives I've discarded over the years. I'll have to try out those CCR boardroom chairs next time I get to fly First with BA. I never flew aboard BA's Concorde, only Air France's, but I did get to check out the seats aboard BA's bird when it was doing a U.S. tour back in 1978 and we were allowed to do a walk through. Those old fuschia colored seats were quite comfortable.

More to come this evening...
Seat 2A is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2019, 4:06 pm
  #47  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,139
Originally Posted by iaflyer
Nice report as always. Having gone through an extensive interview in TLV, I've what that's like for security to be interested in your travels.

I took British Airways business class LHR-ORD last year, it was "meh.." but sound like it was a nice flight for you - of course one class better. My seat on the A380 was one of those that faced backwards - other than probably superior protection in the event of a crash, I didn't appreciate the rearward seat. Of course, other than paying a significant amount (to me, but it was also the point of it), I couldn't select my seat head of time. In business class! It was an award ticket but still...
Thanks, iaflyer ^ All of my interview took place at Amsterdam Schiphol. I was quite surprised that customs and immigration at TLV were a mere formality. I could just as easily have been entering Canada from the U.S. The same held true for my departure from TLV. The security protocol was really no different than had I been flying from Des Moines to Denver. Perhaps it's different if you're flying on El Al as opposed to BA.

It could be I got lucky with BA on these flights. Then again, it could be that I tend to focus on the positives. That's not to say that other's never do but as a rule minor lapses in service I tend to brush aside provided they don't define the flight - a bump in the road as opposed to a bumpy road, per se. But that's me. Other's grade on a much harsher curve. That said, your Business Class experience as described above would be pretty disappointing to me, too - enough so that I'd have real reservations about flying BA's Business Class if not being able to select my seat ahead of time were the normal policy. Is it?

Originally Posted by TheFlyingDoctor
It's a small world - I managed to pick up this report whilst making my own meandering way to AMS, and drove past the hotel which hosts the Aviation Fair you built the trip around! Sadly my extended routing was not in such luxury, nor by choice.... the inbound plane (which should have been KLM's first 737 service to BRS) went tech and returned to base, so a routine hop turned into several hours of queuing, four more in a taxi to central London, then alternative routing on BA for an eventual arrival some eight hours behind schedule. Although your pictures didn't make it into my phone's cache, all the words did, and it's a testament to your report style that that does not hinder the enjoyment of them whilst in the wifi-less confines of a shorthaul flight.

I'd be interested in a FlyerTalk meetup at a fair like this - I've gathered together a few mementos across the years, although mostly restricted to moments from my flying history or aviation employment to prevent the collector / hoarder instincts getting too far out of check. I would definitely echo JAXBA's recommendation of the BA Heritage Centre at Waterside, not just for its collections but the endlessly knowledgeable staff. In the meantime, as part of the BA 100 celebrations their photographic archives have been opened up and put online - creating the Centenary Archive Collection. It's a bit confusingly organised, but is an absolute treasure trove of unseen and / or vintage material that you might enjoy browsing.
Thanks for your comments, Doc ^ In this case they read like a mini-trip report, but always enjoyable to read ^ Thanks also for the link to BA's Centenary Archive Collection. Those photos and memories are right up my alley. Indeed, 5 years ago in reference to a post at the Old Timer's Airline Quiz regarding Alexander Frater's excellent book
<b>Beyond The Blue Horizon</b> Beyond The Blue Horizon
which detailed his 1986 attempts to follow the 1939 route of the old Imperial Airways Flying Boat service from the UK to Australia, I posted a mini-trip report to see how it might have been done using the schedules available in 1969. The attraction of the 1969 schedules was the availability of so many exotic jets and props including flights aboard the Comet, Trident, VC10, Convair 990 and Caravelle to name just a few. How I wish there were a time machine that could have taken me back to that time as I would have loved to have flown those flights.

You'll find that trip report right HERE.

Last edited by Seat 2A; Jun 19, 2019 at 4:13 pm
Seat 2A is offline  
Old Jun 23, 2019, 1:54 pm
  #48  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: London
Programs: BAEC, AA, Emirates, Hilton, Hyatt, Taj Hotels
Posts: 2,339
Talking

Originally Posted by Dover2Golf
I can remember when stewards on BOAC wore white jackets!
Yeah, me too. And meals were a lot more elaborate (up front) then too - proper cocktails and canapes, roasts carved on a trolley etc.

Wonderful report though. Bit of a fail missing the First Wing at T5 LHR as we've been campaigning for a 'cut-through' since the Terminal opened and it does keep you away from the great unwashed (heh heh). I haven't flown BA F this year yet, but I hear the canapes are back and the food has been tweaked up a bit.

Loved this report. We are blessed.
Betteronacamel is offline  
Old Jun 30, 2019, 3:13 am
  #49  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,139
Originally Posted by Betteronacamel
Yeah, me too. And meals were a lot more elaborate (up front) then too - proper cocktails and canapes, roasts carved on a trolley etc.

So true. The old "proper" style of service has unfortunately been replaced by that which is generally most expedient. Most of today's flyers were not raised in that era of "proper" cocktails, canapes, roasts carved on a trolley etc., and so consider today's stripped down service standards as perfectly amenable, if not acceptable, while they enjoy the flight in their track suits or shorts and t-shirts. Sigh... How times have changed. That said, this is the new style of travel so I guess we old timers need to get with the flow. As much as we can, of course. I mean, everything within reason, old chap!

Wonderful report though. Bit of a fail missing the First Wing at T5 LHR as we've been campaigning for a 'cut-through' since the Terminal opened and it does keep you away from the great unwashed (heh heh). I haven't flown BA F this year yet, but I hear the canapes are back and the food has been tweaked up a bit. Loved this report. We are blessed.
Thanks for the kind words, BOAC! ^^ Based upon my February flights, I would hesitate to say canapes are back just yet. I mean, honestly, what we were served was a pre-appetizer. Canapes are wonderful little pre-appetizer tidbits that are every bit as much eye-candy as they are delectable. I'd really like to see BA (and other airlines) bring back a good batch of them to be served with cocktails. Naturally, they'd be presented on trays from which we could select as many as we'd like.


Avianca First Class ~ circa 1965


Pan Am First Class circa 1973


SAS First Class Smorgasbord - Those were the days!
Fliar likes this.
Seat 2A is offline  
Old Aug 1, 2019, 2:23 pm
  #50  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Melbourne
Programs: ►QFWP/LTG►VA WP►HyattExpl.►HiltonGold►ALL Silver
Posts: 21,990
Originally Posted by Seat 2A
...
Thanks, pjs ^. I shudder to think of how much money worth of olives I've discarded over the years....
@Seat 2A - I like olives, can you keep some for me please


BTW, you are wanted over here, but your FT profile will not permit PM's or EMAILS. This is time sensitive.
Originally Posted by Seat 2A
Seat 2A is indeed interested. Let me know...

Last edited by serfty; Aug 2, 2019 at 7:23 pm
serfty is offline  
Old Aug 4, 2019, 3:13 am
  #51  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,139
Originally Posted by serfty
@Seat 2A - I like olives, can you keep some for me please
serfty, you are welcome to any and all of the olives presented to me in whatever context - airline flights, restaurants, whatever. Just send me an address and I will mail them all to you. Of course, I can't vouch for what kind of shape they'll be in by the time you receive them, but hey - the good intent is the main thing...

It'd be nice if we could meet up one a these days at an OzFest or whatnot, but alas, they are always during peak season here. Whatever... One of these days we'll make that happen. In the meantime, enjoy your olives from whatever their point of origin, and I'll look forward to when next we meet.
serfty and offerendum like this.

Last edited by Seat 2A; Aug 4, 2019 at 3:44 am
Seat 2A is offline  
Old Dec 26, 2019, 4:26 pm
  #52  
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Charlottesville, Va. USA
Posts: 1,740
Seat @A any update on you 2017 Australia trip?
FlyingFinn likes this.
jmj9905 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.