The trip of trips!! FRWSTAR2 around the world! 57 days, 34 flights, and a few trains…
Nov 20, 2006, 12:24 am
#19
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Portland, Oregon
Programs: AA EXP UA 2KMM AMB
Posts: 2,399
Fantastic start!
I can only imagine how fun it must have been. Just seeing the photo of the collection of all the boarding passes for this trip has made me excited for the rest of your reports to come ^
I can only imagine how fun it must have been. Just seeing the photo of the collection of all the boarding passes for this trip has made me excited for the rest of your reports to come ^
Nov 20, 2006, 11:05 am
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
Originally Posted by jacob_m
As you may already have noticed I also have a good amount of material from the flights; menus and quite a lot of photos as well. This is something that will continue throughout the trip, so people who like photo reports will definitely not be left disappointed!!
I just need to find enough energy to type everything and upload all the pics, but give me some time and I'm sure it'll be fine,
I just need to find enough energy to type everything and upload all the pics, but give me some time and I'm sure it'll be fine,
Having published a few long reports myself, I can certainly appreciate how much work goes into putting one together. Thanks for an outstanding job so far. This report will definitely be an FT Classic!
Nov 20, 2006, 11:09 am
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: In the skies of the world
Programs: SAS Gold, FB Gold, BA Gold, EY Silver
Posts: 3,167
Toronto-Montreal with AC in C
After three days in Toronto with a visit to the Niagara Falls one of the days it was time to continue my little tour of Canada (well eastern Canada at least).
Quebec had been on my list of destinations already from the beginning, and of course the region was even more interesting to me since it is the heart of French-speaking Canada and I am fluent in French.
Air Canada uses a wide variety of aircrafts on the Toronto-Montreal route ranging from regional jets to large widebody aircrafts, I was happy to learn that one daily rotation is operated by an Airbus A330 with the longhaul configuration (it continues to Paris during the night).
The A330 flight also departed very conveniently at 5 pm from Toronto, so by choosing that flight I got the chance to sample the Air Canada longhaul product as well, or at least the seat.
I arrived at Toronto Lester B Pearson airport two hours before departure.
Air Canada uses the brand new terminal 1 for its domestic and international flights, and I have to say the terminal is very nice, very bright and modern with lots of glass and light!
I found the domestic premium check-in to the very right of the departure hall and joined the line for the Executive Class and Star Gold check-in.
The check-in process was swift and I got a brief explanation of how to get to the Air Canada lounge. My luggage was also properly tagged but it was quite interesting that they have “priorité” printed on the red tags in Canada, in French!
Pics
The Air Canada domestic premium check-in at the brand new Terminal 1 in Toronto
The bright transit hall in the new Terminal 1
The departure screens in Terminal 1
Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge, Toronto
No fast track security but fortunately all the checkpoints were open so I was through within a few minutes.
The lifts to the lounge were on the left side right after security and opened up right in front of the reception desk in the lounge.
The lounge seemed to have two sides so I asked the lounge agent if there were any differences between the two sides. I was told the left side of the reception is the main lounge and on the right the business centre, well that explains it!
I went to the left and had a seat in a nice armchair. The lounge was actually very nice, probably as new as the terminal itself with a nice modern interior and large widescreen TVs in some corners of the lounge.
The snacks selection was also quite good with fresh fruits and vegetables and yummy chocolate chip cookies. They also had Canadian beer on tap and red and white wine, although not in the original bottles, it had something to do with the new regulations on liquids.
After watching TV and drinking some Canadian beer I went to the other side of the lounge to check out the business centre, there were a good number of computers in there, and with free internet!!
The business centre was actually one of the best I have ever visited, all kinds of printing services were offered and they even had an agent on hand to help with printing-related matters.
Too bad I did not know this in advance as I had visited an internet café earlier the same day (no, I’m not bringing my laptop on this two months trip, I had enough to carry).
On the whole the lounge was a very positive surprise, if I had known it was that nice I would have taken an earlier bus to the airport.
Pics
The reception desk in the Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge
The main lounge
The self-service buffet area
A sitting area and one of the widescreen TVs
Toronto-Montreal, flight AC 420 operated by Air Canada
Departure: 17:00
Arrival: 18:15
Aircraft: Airbus A330
Class: Executive Class (Business class)
Seat: 02A
I arrived at the gate 30 mins before departure where boarding had already started, I think they offered priority boarding, but most passengers were already onboard at this point anyway.
An FA was standing at the entrance to the aircraft and I got the little joy of being directed to the left rather than to the right.
I found my seat on the second row and my jacket was taken by a passing FA. Newspapers, hot towels and earphones were then handed out. The business class cabin ended up being completely full this late afternoon.
Pushback right on time, and we were told the crew onboard the aircraft were based in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal (all three hubs) and spoke English, French, and Cantonese, a pretty good variety!
During the flight they offered a choice between fruit salad and chicken salad served on a small black plastic tray. I went for the chicken salad as I had not had anything proper to eat since lunch, it was OK, if yet on the smaller side. It would have been nice to get some more though, at least a bread roll and a chocolate bar, after all this was business class.
A drink cart also passed through the cabin and they had two reds and two whites on offer (from proper bottles), one of the reds was a merlot. Coffee and tea then followed.
I played a bit with the seat which was quite comfortable but slightly old-fashioned, the grey colour makes it look a bit depressing.
The seat was operated from a small panel on the armrest with four black buttons. Lots of legroom as well, that part was certainly not a problem, I could not even reach for the seat pocket in front of me when I had my seatbelt fastened, and I am quite tall.
Each seat also had a personal screen and I found a video console in the armrest, so the inflight entertainment system seemed to be quite allright with games on offer as well, but they did not turn it on on this short flight.
The only kind of entertainment during the flight was a news report on the main screen, in English and then in French.
All too soon we started the descent and they handed out hot towels before collecting the last cups and glasses from the cabin.
Fantastic views of Montreal during the approach, the Olympic stadium was very easy to recognise and basically the entire city was visible this evening. I snapped some nice photos before we touched down at Montreal Trudeau airport.
Pics
The business class cabin onboard the Airbus A330
Certainly no lack of legroom onboard in business class!
The seat control
Inflight entertainment controls
Inflight meal to Montreal, chicken salad
Fantastic views of downtown Montreal during the approach with the Olympic stadium in the foreground
There was some confusion inside the terminal building as our aircraft parked at the international part of the terminal (it would continue to Paris later the same evening), but they had not prepared the walkways and relevant doors to get us safely from the gate to the domestic part of the terminal and there were definitely no signs to follow. An airport employee noticed what was going on though and showed us the right way.
Well at least the priority luggage worked very well, my two suitcases were among the first on the belt.
As I was now in the French-speaking part of Canada it was also time to switch language, I had some problems understanding the Canadian accent in the beginning, but I got used to it quite quickly.
Quebec had been on my list of destinations already from the beginning, and of course the region was even more interesting to me since it is the heart of French-speaking Canada and I am fluent in French.
Air Canada uses a wide variety of aircrafts on the Toronto-Montreal route ranging from regional jets to large widebody aircrafts, I was happy to learn that one daily rotation is operated by an Airbus A330 with the longhaul configuration (it continues to Paris during the night).
The A330 flight also departed very conveniently at 5 pm from Toronto, so by choosing that flight I got the chance to sample the Air Canada longhaul product as well, or at least the seat.
I arrived at Toronto Lester B Pearson airport two hours before departure.
Air Canada uses the brand new terminal 1 for its domestic and international flights, and I have to say the terminal is very nice, very bright and modern with lots of glass and light!
I found the domestic premium check-in to the very right of the departure hall and joined the line for the Executive Class and Star Gold check-in.
The check-in process was swift and I got a brief explanation of how to get to the Air Canada lounge. My luggage was also properly tagged but it was quite interesting that they have “priorité” printed on the red tags in Canada, in French!
Pics
The Air Canada domestic premium check-in at the brand new Terminal 1 in Toronto
The bright transit hall in the new Terminal 1
The departure screens in Terminal 1
Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge, Toronto
No fast track security but fortunately all the checkpoints were open so I was through within a few minutes.
The lifts to the lounge were on the left side right after security and opened up right in front of the reception desk in the lounge.
The lounge seemed to have two sides so I asked the lounge agent if there were any differences between the two sides. I was told the left side of the reception is the main lounge and on the right the business centre, well that explains it!
I went to the left and had a seat in a nice armchair. The lounge was actually very nice, probably as new as the terminal itself with a nice modern interior and large widescreen TVs in some corners of the lounge.
The snacks selection was also quite good with fresh fruits and vegetables and yummy chocolate chip cookies. They also had Canadian beer on tap and red and white wine, although not in the original bottles, it had something to do with the new regulations on liquids.
After watching TV and drinking some Canadian beer I went to the other side of the lounge to check out the business centre, there were a good number of computers in there, and with free internet!!
The business centre was actually one of the best I have ever visited, all kinds of printing services were offered and they even had an agent on hand to help with printing-related matters.
Too bad I did not know this in advance as I had visited an internet café earlier the same day (no, I’m not bringing my laptop on this two months trip, I had enough to carry).
On the whole the lounge was a very positive surprise, if I had known it was that nice I would have taken an earlier bus to the airport.
Pics
The reception desk in the Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge
The main lounge
The self-service buffet area
A sitting area and one of the widescreen TVs
Toronto-Montreal, flight AC 420 operated by Air Canada
Departure: 17:00
Arrival: 18:15
Aircraft: Airbus A330
Class: Executive Class (Business class)
Seat: 02A
I arrived at the gate 30 mins before departure where boarding had already started, I think they offered priority boarding, but most passengers were already onboard at this point anyway.
An FA was standing at the entrance to the aircraft and I got the little joy of being directed to the left rather than to the right.
I found my seat on the second row and my jacket was taken by a passing FA. Newspapers, hot towels and earphones were then handed out. The business class cabin ended up being completely full this late afternoon.
Pushback right on time, and we were told the crew onboard the aircraft were based in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal (all three hubs) and spoke English, French, and Cantonese, a pretty good variety!
During the flight they offered a choice between fruit salad and chicken salad served on a small black plastic tray. I went for the chicken salad as I had not had anything proper to eat since lunch, it was OK, if yet on the smaller side. It would have been nice to get some more though, at least a bread roll and a chocolate bar, after all this was business class.
A drink cart also passed through the cabin and they had two reds and two whites on offer (from proper bottles), one of the reds was a merlot. Coffee and tea then followed.
I played a bit with the seat which was quite comfortable but slightly old-fashioned, the grey colour makes it look a bit depressing.
The seat was operated from a small panel on the armrest with four black buttons. Lots of legroom as well, that part was certainly not a problem, I could not even reach for the seat pocket in front of me when I had my seatbelt fastened, and I am quite tall.
Each seat also had a personal screen and I found a video console in the armrest, so the inflight entertainment system seemed to be quite allright with games on offer as well, but they did not turn it on on this short flight.
The only kind of entertainment during the flight was a news report on the main screen, in English and then in French.
All too soon we started the descent and they handed out hot towels before collecting the last cups and glasses from the cabin.
Fantastic views of Montreal during the approach, the Olympic stadium was very easy to recognise and basically the entire city was visible this evening. I snapped some nice photos before we touched down at Montreal Trudeau airport.
Pics
The business class cabin onboard the Airbus A330
Certainly no lack of legroom onboard in business class!
The seat control
Inflight entertainment controls
Inflight meal to Montreal, chicken salad
Fantastic views of downtown Montreal during the approach with the Olympic stadium in the foreground
There was some confusion inside the terminal building as our aircraft parked at the international part of the terminal (it would continue to Paris later the same evening), but they had not prepared the walkways and relevant doors to get us safely from the gate to the domestic part of the terminal and there were definitely no signs to follow. An airport employee noticed what was going on though and showed us the right way.
Well at least the priority luggage worked very well, my two suitcases were among the first on the belt.
As I was now in the French-speaking part of Canada it was also time to switch language, I had some problems understanding the Canadian accent in the beginning, but I got used to it quite quickly.
Last edited by jacob_m; Sep 8, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Nov 20, 2006, 11:12 am
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: In the skies of the world
Programs: SAS Gold, FB Gold, BA Gold, EY Silver
Posts: 3,167
Quebec City-Montreal by train
During my visit to Montreal I decided to take two days and visit Quebec City, another good advice I got from Flyertalk.
I initially thought about going there only during a day, which is technically possible by train, but I was told the city is way too nice to spend only a few hours there.
It takes three hours to get to Quebec City by train so I booked the first morning train from Montreal, an overnight stop at the Best Western hotel in Quebec City, and then the last evening train back to Montreal the second day.
I was allowed to leave my suitcases free of charge in Montreal as I would return there again the following evening, very appreciated!
The Canadian railway company VIA offers quite a nice first class product onboard their trains.
In first class there is a full meal service, and in the evening that means a full three courses meal with wine, coffee and liquors. First class passengers also get access to Panorama lounges at the major railway stations in Canada.
This obviously sounded very interesting!
I didn’t bother to book first class on the morning train to Quebec City, I don’t care much about breakfast whether it is a take-away sandwich or a full hot meal served on fancy china, and I can’t imagine the train breakfast being that spectacular anyway so I'd rather spend my money on something else.
However on the return I booked a seat in first class which was surprisingly affordable, the train departed at 5.35 pm which meant a dinner service onboard, and I had to have dinner at some point anyway.
Quebec City-Montreal, train 27 operated by Via Rail Canada
Departure: 17:35
Arrival: 20:50
Class: VIA 1 (First class)
I was a bit disappointed with my visit to Quebec City, well don’t take me wrong, the city was great, but it was bloody cold, not more than 5 degrees Celsius (and this was at the end of September). On top of that I caught a cold, which did not really make things more fun.
But again, Quebec City was great, one of the oldest cities in North America, well worth a visit!
I arrived at the railway station an hour before departure. The railway station in Quebec City is one of the coolest I have ever seen, it looks more like a castle than a railway station.
I found the panorama lounge right next to the small ticket desk (it’s a small station, only 4-5 trains a day to Montreal).
Nobody was really checking who entered the lounge, but the people inside seemed to know they were allowed to be there.
There was a coffee machine and a fridge with soft drinks in the lounge and newspapers were also available. I wouldn’t really arrive hours in advance just to spend some time in that lounge, but it was nice to sit down and have something to drink while waiting for the boarding to start.
15 minutes before departure a woman came into the lounge and told us the train was ready for boarding, first class passengers are allowed to board first and there was a door leading directly from the lounge to the single platform.
Pics
The cool railway station in Quebec City
The entrance to the Panorama lounge in Quebec City
Inside the Panorama lounge
At the entrance to my car a train attendant greeted me and checked my ticket before letting me inside. The first class and second class cars are virtually identical, except that the interior is slightly different (a different colour), they both also have a 2-1 configuration.
Not a lot of people boarded the train in Quebec City, but the train ended up being quite full later on. As I was sitting close to an emergency exit the train attendant gave me a short briefing of the emergency procedures onboard and he also put a sticker on my seat to indicate that I had been given this information.
Shortly after departure they passed through the car with the drink trolley, they really had a full bar service onboard with soft drinks, wine, beer and spirits.
I saw there was a bottle of Ballantines, my favourite, and whiskey is good for the throat as well (or isn't it??), well two good reasons to go for the strong stuff straight away! Pretzels were also offered.
Next the menu was handed out, and this is what was on offer this evening:
Appetizer
Tomato, asparagus, feta, black olive tapenade and black cracked pepper
Main course
Roast pork tenderloin seasoned with caraway seeds and calvados sauce.
Served with roasted apples, garlic mashed potatoes, parsnips, carrots and asparagus
Pan seared halibut with a creamy tarragon marinara sauce, saffron rice and green beans
Agnolotti stuffed with roasted artichoke with rosé sauce, garnished with roasted butternut squash and green peas
Dessert
Praline hazelnut cake
Cold plate selection
Roasted chicken breast with Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad.
Accompanied by Camembert and Saint Paulin cheeses with dried fruits and nuts
Served with fresh fruits
Minutes later they were back to take the orders for the main course, I chose the pork.
The meal trays were then handed out with the appetizer on it followed by the drink trolley a second time for more drinks with the meal, I had some red wine this time, breads were also offered.
The appetizer plate was then collected and shortly afterwards the main course arrived, it turned out the pork was an excellent choice, it was actually very tasty!
More wine was offered and finally coffee and tea, I tried the hazelnut cake on the tray and it was good as well. A hands up for the food! ^
The drink cart then passed a third time in case somebody wanted anything more to drink with the coffee, they had no more Ballantines whiskey onboard so I settled with a cognac.
I don't think I have ever had so much to drink onboard a train!
Pics
The first class car to Montreal
Passing through the Canadian countryside
The menu and cocktail snacks
A glass of Ballantines before the meal
The main course onboard the train (the pork) and a glass of red wine
The train trip back to Montreal was most enjoyable. Great service onboard and nice food and drinks as well while I got to enjoy the beautiful Canadian countryside. It was autumn/fall in Canada so all the trees were beautifully red and yellow (and the view probably got even nicer after a few drinks).
All too soon we were back in Montreal and I had finished another nice and enjoyable part of this trip.
I initially thought about going there only during a day, which is technically possible by train, but I was told the city is way too nice to spend only a few hours there.
It takes three hours to get to Quebec City by train so I booked the first morning train from Montreal, an overnight stop at the Best Western hotel in Quebec City, and then the last evening train back to Montreal the second day.
I was allowed to leave my suitcases free of charge in Montreal as I would return there again the following evening, very appreciated!
The Canadian railway company VIA offers quite a nice first class product onboard their trains.
In first class there is a full meal service, and in the evening that means a full three courses meal with wine, coffee and liquors. First class passengers also get access to Panorama lounges at the major railway stations in Canada.
This obviously sounded very interesting!
I didn’t bother to book first class on the morning train to Quebec City, I don’t care much about breakfast whether it is a take-away sandwich or a full hot meal served on fancy china, and I can’t imagine the train breakfast being that spectacular anyway so I'd rather spend my money on something else.
However on the return I booked a seat in first class which was surprisingly affordable, the train departed at 5.35 pm which meant a dinner service onboard, and I had to have dinner at some point anyway.
Quebec City-Montreal, train 27 operated by Via Rail Canada
Departure: 17:35
Arrival: 20:50
Class: VIA 1 (First class)
I was a bit disappointed with my visit to Quebec City, well don’t take me wrong, the city was great, but it was bloody cold, not more than 5 degrees Celsius (and this was at the end of September). On top of that I caught a cold, which did not really make things more fun.
But again, Quebec City was great, one of the oldest cities in North America, well worth a visit!
I arrived at the railway station an hour before departure. The railway station in Quebec City is one of the coolest I have ever seen, it looks more like a castle than a railway station.
I found the panorama lounge right next to the small ticket desk (it’s a small station, only 4-5 trains a day to Montreal).
Nobody was really checking who entered the lounge, but the people inside seemed to know they were allowed to be there.
There was a coffee machine and a fridge with soft drinks in the lounge and newspapers were also available. I wouldn’t really arrive hours in advance just to spend some time in that lounge, but it was nice to sit down and have something to drink while waiting for the boarding to start.
15 minutes before departure a woman came into the lounge and told us the train was ready for boarding, first class passengers are allowed to board first and there was a door leading directly from the lounge to the single platform.
Pics
The cool railway station in Quebec City
The entrance to the Panorama lounge in Quebec City
Inside the Panorama lounge
At the entrance to my car a train attendant greeted me and checked my ticket before letting me inside. The first class and second class cars are virtually identical, except that the interior is slightly different (a different colour), they both also have a 2-1 configuration.
Not a lot of people boarded the train in Quebec City, but the train ended up being quite full later on. As I was sitting close to an emergency exit the train attendant gave me a short briefing of the emergency procedures onboard and he also put a sticker on my seat to indicate that I had been given this information.
Shortly after departure they passed through the car with the drink trolley, they really had a full bar service onboard with soft drinks, wine, beer and spirits.
I saw there was a bottle of Ballantines, my favourite, and whiskey is good for the throat as well (or isn't it??), well two good reasons to go for the strong stuff straight away! Pretzels were also offered.
Next the menu was handed out, and this is what was on offer this evening:
Originally Posted by Menu Quebec City-Montreal
Appetizer
Tomato, asparagus, feta, black olive tapenade and black cracked pepper
Main course
Roast pork tenderloin seasoned with caraway seeds and calvados sauce.
Served with roasted apples, garlic mashed potatoes, parsnips, carrots and asparagus
Pan seared halibut with a creamy tarragon marinara sauce, saffron rice and green beans
Agnolotti stuffed with roasted artichoke with rosé sauce, garnished with roasted butternut squash and green peas
Dessert
Praline hazelnut cake
Cold plate selection
Roasted chicken breast with Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad.
Accompanied by Camembert and Saint Paulin cheeses with dried fruits and nuts
Served with fresh fruits
The meal trays were then handed out with the appetizer on it followed by the drink trolley a second time for more drinks with the meal, I had some red wine this time, breads were also offered.
The appetizer plate was then collected and shortly afterwards the main course arrived, it turned out the pork was an excellent choice, it was actually very tasty!
More wine was offered and finally coffee and tea, I tried the hazelnut cake on the tray and it was good as well. A hands up for the food! ^
The drink cart then passed a third time in case somebody wanted anything more to drink with the coffee, they had no more Ballantines whiskey onboard so I settled with a cognac.
I don't think I have ever had so much to drink onboard a train!
Pics
The first class car to Montreal
Passing through the Canadian countryside
The menu and cocktail snacks
A glass of Ballantines before the meal
The main course onboard the train (the pork) and a glass of red wine
The train trip back to Montreal was most enjoyable. Great service onboard and nice food and drinks as well while I got to enjoy the beautiful Canadian countryside. It was autumn/fall in Canada so all the trees were beautifully red and yellow (and the view probably got even nicer after a few drinks).
All too soon we were back in Montreal and I had finished another nice and enjoyable part of this trip.
Last edited by jacob_m; Apr 27, 2007 at 2:21 pm
Nov 20, 2006, 1:48 pm
#24
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Göteborg,Sweden
Programs: SK EBG, LH SEN.
Posts: 638
Jacob_m, this is excellent, can´t wait for more. Agree with Kiwi to print out your story and read on upcoming long haul flights. We talked about you on our SK do in SEA, and about your stay in F terminal FRA...sounds very nice...!! Looking forward to visiting the terminal some time in the future... ^
Nov 20, 2006, 3:07 pm
#25
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: YUL
Programs: Various airline, hotel and credit card programs
Posts: 1,903
Montreal has been my hometown since 1981 and Air Canada the airline of my choice.
I am glad that you have had a great time here!
I am glad that you have had a great time here!
Last edited by Vaclav; Nov 21, 2006 at 4:56 pm
Nov 20, 2006, 3:45 pm
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: In the skies of the world
Programs: SAS Gold, FB Gold, BA Gold, EY Silver
Posts: 3,167
Montreal-New York with AC in C
So it was time to leave Canada. I really enjoyed Canada and had a great time there, so it was actually a bit sad to leave after a week, but of course next stop on the trip is not bad either: the big apple!
On all flights between Canada and the US the US immigration takes place at the departure airport, so in this case it meant in Montreal. Thus I was very careful to allow plenty of time at the airport as I know how much time US immigration can take, I arrived at the airport two and a half hours before scheduled departure time.
The young and pleasant girl at the elite check-in desk was very amused to see my thick round the world ticket and went through the entire itinerary before starting to check me in, she told me she would have loved to come with me with all the nice destinations I had included!!
We spoke French during the entire check-in process and without even thinking about it she gave me all the US immigration and customs forms in French, which was a bit weird!
I didn’t actually notice it until after I had left the check-in desk, but being too lazy to go back I did my best to complete all of it anyway.
Sure I speak French, but that's not really the same thing as knowing the French words for all prohibited items not allowed to be brought into the US.
Travelling from Canada to the US differs quite a bit from the standard departure procedures.
All check-in formalities are completed at the check-in desk as usual. I received my boarding pass and my luggage was properly tagged, however there are no conveyor belts behind the check-in desks, you are not allowed to deposit your luggage until you have passed US immigration.
After the necessary forms were completed there was a boarding pass checkpoint where an agent also checked that all passengers had been given and fully completed the US immigration forms.
After the boarding pass check there was one single tax-free shop, the only reason it’s there and not later is that you should have the opportunity to declare items to the US customs, which could technically include an excessive amount of alcohol from that tax-free shop... No further comments!
After the taxfree shop I joined a long line of people waiting to pass US immigration, all of them bringing their hand luggage as well as all the luggage to be checked-in.
The line moved surprisingly fast and once at the counter the process was almost completely painless, other than the stupid fingerprints of course.
The only real question I was asked was the reason for my visit to the US, that’s it! The customs guy was not interested in finding out where I was going, for how long I intended to stay in the US, or if I had a return ticket. Nothing! Well I certainly didn’t mind!
After passport control and customs there was a conveyor belt where I could deposit my checked luggage, then the only remaining thing was the security check. After that very last check I had finally but successfully entered the United States and I was also allowed to board the plane. Well that's always a good start...
There were a few shops and cafes in the transborder transit area, but obviously no proper duty free shops.
Pics
The Air Canada elite check-in at Montreal Trudeau airport
Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge, Transborder Area, Montreal
I made my way to the Maple Leaf lounge located between gate 74 and 75.
Another great Air Canada lounge, very bright and modern and with a great view of the apron!
I was quite hungry and was happy to find some light food available, some soup, salad and bread rolls. The drink selection was quite good as well with beer, wine and plenty of spirits.
There was a young girl in charge of the bar who helped guests pour drinks, I’m not quite sure why she was there as the alcohol was free of charge and most people could probably manage to pour drinks quite well without any help (unless you have already done some excessive drinking of course..).
There was also a small business centre in the lounge with free internet, excellent!
I really wish more airlines would offer free internet in their lounges!
Pics
Inside the bright Air Canada Maple Leaf transborder lounge in Montreal
The self-service buffet area in the lounge
Plenty of spirits
Great view from the lounge! The aircraft closest to the lounge is the one that will take me to LGA
Montreal-New York/LGA, flight AC 748 operated by Air Canada
Departure: 15:30
Arrival: 16:50
Aircraft: Airbus A319
Class: Executive Class (Business class)
Seat: 02F
Half an hour before departure I left the lounge, the departure gate for the flight to New York La Guardia was conveniently right below the lounge.
Priority boarding was offered for business class passengers and star golds, so I was one of the first passengers to board.
Once onboard an FA offered to take my jacket, newspapers and earphones were also handed out, but no pre-departure drink.
The business class seat onboard the Airbus A319 was quite OK. They have a 2-2 configuration in business class in contrast to a 3-3 configuration in the back of the bus, so the seat was a lot wider, however there was nowhere near as much legroom as on the A330 flight from Toronto.
I had an American man sitting next to me, however two of his colleagues boarded just before doors were closed and they were in economy, so for some reason he decided to move to the back of the plane before we had even taken off from Montreal, so the seat stayed empty during the entire flight. Well good for me!
The inflight service was a choice between chicken salad and fruit salad. Heard that one before? I went for the chicken salad this time as well.
A full drink service was also offered, and I asked for some red wine and had a choice between two reds.
It turned out I was the only person in business class drinking red wine, and since they only have large bottles onboard Air Canada flights it meant they opened a whole bottle just for me.
The nice flight attendant offered frequent refills and nicely reminded me they had to throw the rest away after the flight so I'd better have another glass, always with a smile of course!
Well I did a good try, but I could obviously not finish a whole bottle myself, I’m not an animal!
Later into the flight I also asked for a cup of coffee.
The service onboard was OK, but halfway into the flight the FAs got very lazy and nobody actually made a proper check of the cabin before landing.
Since I ordered a cup of coffee quite late into the flight I actually still had my cup on the small cocktail table when we landed in New York which was not particularly good for the safety onboard and certainly not very convenient for me either.
Of course I could have pressed the call button, but I actually expected someone to pass through the cabin minutes before landing as they usually do, but nobody came.
The flight was very quick though with an actual flight time of only 50 minutes so we actually landed 25 minutes before scheduled arrival time. I enjoyed great views of New York and Manhattan during the approach to La Guardia.
As all immigration formalities were completed in Montreal the only remaining thing at La Guardia was to pick up the checked luggage in the arrivals hall. No passport control, no customs, nothing! Great!!
As many passengers only had hand luggage the baggage delivery started very quickly and I was standing at the bus stop outside the terminal building only a few minutes after landing.
Certainly my quickest entry ever into the United States!
Pics
The gate area, waiting for the boarding to start
Inflight meal to New York, chicken salad and red wine
Nice views of New York during the final approach to La Guardia
That’s the last flight report for today!
Next: United Airlines p.s service in first class…
On all flights between Canada and the US the US immigration takes place at the departure airport, so in this case it meant in Montreal. Thus I was very careful to allow plenty of time at the airport as I know how much time US immigration can take, I arrived at the airport two and a half hours before scheduled departure time.
The young and pleasant girl at the elite check-in desk was very amused to see my thick round the world ticket and went through the entire itinerary before starting to check me in, she told me she would have loved to come with me with all the nice destinations I had included!!
We spoke French during the entire check-in process and without even thinking about it she gave me all the US immigration and customs forms in French, which was a bit weird!
I didn’t actually notice it until after I had left the check-in desk, but being too lazy to go back I did my best to complete all of it anyway.
Sure I speak French, but that's not really the same thing as knowing the French words for all prohibited items not allowed to be brought into the US.
Travelling from Canada to the US differs quite a bit from the standard departure procedures.
All check-in formalities are completed at the check-in desk as usual. I received my boarding pass and my luggage was properly tagged, however there are no conveyor belts behind the check-in desks, you are not allowed to deposit your luggage until you have passed US immigration.
After the necessary forms were completed there was a boarding pass checkpoint where an agent also checked that all passengers had been given and fully completed the US immigration forms.
After the boarding pass check there was one single tax-free shop, the only reason it’s there and not later is that you should have the opportunity to declare items to the US customs, which could technically include an excessive amount of alcohol from that tax-free shop... No further comments!
After the taxfree shop I joined a long line of people waiting to pass US immigration, all of them bringing their hand luggage as well as all the luggage to be checked-in.
The line moved surprisingly fast and once at the counter the process was almost completely painless, other than the stupid fingerprints of course.
The only real question I was asked was the reason for my visit to the US, that’s it! The customs guy was not interested in finding out where I was going, for how long I intended to stay in the US, or if I had a return ticket. Nothing! Well I certainly didn’t mind!
After passport control and customs there was a conveyor belt where I could deposit my checked luggage, then the only remaining thing was the security check. After that very last check I had finally but successfully entered the United States and I was also allowed to board the plane. Well that's always a good start...
There were a few shops and cafes in the transborder transit area, but obviously no proper duty free shops.
Pics
The Air Canada elite check-in at Montreal Trudeau airport
Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge, Transborder Area, Montreal
I made my way to the Maple Leaf lounge located between gate 74 and 75.
Another great Air Canada lounge, very bright and modern and with a great view of the apron!
I was quite hungry and was happy to find some light food available, some soup, salad and bread rolls. The drink selection was quite good as well with beer, wine and plenty of spirits.
There was a young girl in charge of the bar who helped guests pour drinks, I’m not quite sure why she was there as the alcohol was free of charge and most people could probably manage to pour drinks quite well without any help (unless you have already done some excessive drinking of course..).
There was also a small business centre in the lounge with free internet, excellent!
I really wish more airlines would offer free internet in their lounges!
Pics
Inside the bright Air Canada Maple Leaf transborder lounge in Montreal
The self-service buffet area in the lounge
Plenty of spirits
Great view from the lounge! The aircraft closest to the lounge is the one that will take me to LGA
Montreal-New York/LGA, flight AC 748 operated by Air Canada
Departure: 15:30
Arrival: 16:50
Aircraft: Airbus A319
Class: Executive Class (Business class)
Seat: 02F
Half an hour before departure I left the lounge, the departure gate for the flight to New York La Guardia was conveniently right below the lounge.
Priority boarding was offered for business class passengers and star golds, so I was one of the first passengers to board.
Once onboard an FA offered to take my jacket, newspapers and earphones were also handed out, but no pre-departure drink.
The business class seat onboard the Airbus A319 was quite OK. They have a 2-2 configuration in business class in contrast to a 3-3 configuration in the back of the bus, so the seat was a lot wider, however there was nowhere near as much legroom as on the A330 flight from Toronto.
I had an American man sitting next to me, however two of his colleagues boarded just before doors were closed and they were in economy, so for some reason he decided to move to the back of the plane before we had even taken off from Montreal, so the seat stayed empty during the entire flight. Well good for me!
The inflight service was a choice between chicken salad and fruit salad. Heard that one before? I went for the chicken salad this time as well.
A full drink service was also offered, and I asked for some red wine and had a choice between two reds.
It turned out I was the only person in business class drinking red wine, and since they only have large bottles onboard Air Canada flights it meant they opened a whole bottle just for me.
The nice flight attendant offered frequent refills and nicely reminded me they had to throw the rest away after the flight so I'd better have another glass, always with a smile of course!
Well I did a good try, but I could obviously not finish a whole bottle myself, I’m not an animal!
Later into the flight I also asked for a cup of coffee.
The service onboard was OK, but halfway into the flight the FAs got very lazy and nobody actually made a proper check of the cabin before landing.
Since I ordered a cup of coffee quite late into the flight I actually still had my cup on the small cocktail table when we landed in New York which was not particularly good for the safety onboard and certainly not very convenient for me either.
Of course I could have pressed the call button, but I actually expected someone to pass through the cabin minutes before landing as they usually do, but nobody came.
The flight was very quick though with an actual flight time of only 50 minutes so we actually landed 25 minutes before scheduled arrival time. I enjoyed great views of New York and Manhattan during the approach to La Guardia.
As all immigration formalities were completed in Montreal the only remaining thing at La Guardia was to pick up the checked luggage in the arrivals hall. No passport control, no customs, nothing! Great!!
As many passengers only had hand luggage the baggage delivery started very quickly and I was standing at the bus stop outside the terminal building only a few minutes after landing.
Certainly my quickest entry ever into the United States!
Pics
The gate area, waiting for the boarding to start
Inflight meal to New York, chicken salad and red wine
Nice views of New York during the final approach to La Guardia
That’s the last flight report for today!
Next: United Airlines p.s service in first class…
Last edited by jacob_m; Aug 30, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Nov 20, 2006, 4:36 pm
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: In the skies of the world
Programs: SAS Gold, FB Gold, BA Gold, EY Silver
Posts: 3,167
Thanks all for all the very nice comments so far!
I'm glad you're enjoying it! And it certainly also keeps me motivated to continue writing as it really takes a good amount of time to type everything and upload all the pics.
That's the second request I think!
I can fully understand your curiosity, but it would be a pity (and a bit boring) to reveal the entire itinerary already now of a trip I had been planning for six months when also only 6 out of 34 flights have been posted so far.
Well the photo on top of the first page gives a few hints of the itinerary.
There are two ANA boarding passes there for example, which could mean Japan is included at some point.
It is not too hard to see there are several Air NZ boarding passes there as well, and I have already told I have booked a *A Pacific award, thus it is not impossible New Zealand and some Pacific islands are included as well.
As a final comment I can tell that the number of visited countries during the trip equals 16, I could actually stretch that to 17, and possibly make it 18 depending on if one place could be regarded as a country.
Let's leave it there!
I can well assure you you will not get disappointed with neither the destinations nor the flights during the remainder of the trip.
The most interesting flights are actually during the second part.
I'm glad you're enjoying it! And it certainly also keeps me motivated to continue writing as it really takes a good amount of time to type everything and upload all the pics.
Originally Posted by PhilH
I too would love to have an idea, up front, of your full itinerary. Thanks!
I can fully understand your curiosity, but it would be a pity (and a bit boring) to reveal the entire itinerary already now of a trip I had been planning for six months when also only 6 out of 34 flights have been posted so far.
Well the photo on top of the first page gives a few hints of the itinerary.
There are two ANA boarding passes there for example, which could mean Japan is included at some point.
It is not too hard to see there are several Air NZ boarding passes there as well, and I have already told I have booked a *A Pacific award, thus it is not impossible New Zealand and some Pacific islands are included as well.
As a final comment I can tell that the number of visited countries during the trip equals 16, I could actually stretch that to 17, and possibly make it 18 depending on if one place could be regarded as a country.
Let's leave it there!
I can well assure you you will not get disappointed with neither the destinations nor the flights during the remainder of the trip.
The most interesting flights are actually during the second part.
Nov 20, 2006, 4:52 pm
#30
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
Programs: some
Posts: 71,422
Originally Posted by jacob_m
Thanks all for all the very nice comments so far!
I'm glad you're enjoying it! And it certainly also keeps me motivated to continue writing as it really takes a good amount of time to type everything and upload all the pics.
That's the second request I think!
I can fully understand your curiosity, but it would be a pity (and a bit boring) to reveal the entire itinerary already now of a trip I had been planning for six months when also only 6 out of 34 flights have been posted so far.
Well the photo on top of the first page gives a few hints of the itinerary.
There are two ANA boarding passes there for example, which could mean Japan is included at some point.
It is not too hard to see there are several Air NZ boarding passes there as well, and I have already told I have booked a *A Pacific award, thus it is not impossible New Zealand and some Pacific islands are included as well.
As a final comment I can tell that the number of visited countries during the trip equals 16, I could actually stretch that to 17, and possibly make it 18 depending on if one place could be regarded as a country.
Let's leave it there!
I can well assure you you will not get disappointed with neither the destinations nor the flights during the remainder of the trip.
The most interesting flights are actually during the second part.
I'm glad you're enjoying it! And it certainly also keeps me motivated to continue writing as it really takes a good amount of time to type everything and upload all the pics.
That's the second request I think!
I can fully understand your curiosity, but it would be a pity (and a bit boring) to reveal the entire itinerary already now of a trip I had been planning for six months when also only 6 out of 34 flights have been posted so far.
Well the photo on top of the first page gives a few hints of the itinerary.
There are two ANA boarding passes there for example, which could mean Japan is included at some point.
It is not too hard to see there are several Air NZ boarding passes there as well, and I have already told I have booked a *A Pacific award, thus it is not impossible New Zealand and some Pacific islands are included as well.
As a final comment I can tell that the number of visited countries during the trip equals 16, I could actually stretch that to 17, and possibly make it 18 depending on if one place could be regarded as a country.
Let's leave it there!
I can well assure you you will not get disappointed with neither the destinations nor the flights during the remainder of the trip.
The most interesting flights are actually during the second part.
18 countries from 34 flights - not bad ^^