While I'd been super-organized in picking a place for Turkey Day (specifically, visiting Christopher's brother and said brother's wife in Fayetteville, North Carolina - we booked the trip in August!), Christmas was another matter. Last year was no better (booking at Thanksgiving for Christmas! We went to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon). This year would be slightly more complicated, as there would be six of us on the trip. My parents (starting their trip in Cleveland), my sister and her boyfriend (Seattle), and my husband and I (Boston).
The first idea for a place to go was the South of France. My mother wanted to go somewhere warmer and less snowy than Cleveland (and who can blame her?). Problem: airfares to Nice were very expensive. Paris wasn't much, but then there was the overnight train, which brought the fare back up again. Never mind that, but accomodations in Nice had been difficult to find.
OK, no Nice. What about Rome? It's southerly (hence should be warmer), and of all of us, only my Dad had been to Italy, and then only briefly. Plusses: SystemWide Upgradable seats were available from JFK-FCO, meaning we could sit in front. Problems: killing eight to ten days in Rome itself seemed a little difficult. So rent a car and drive around the countryside? Ah yes, but that means moving accomodations multiple times (and thus spending more time packing your suitcase than seeing the sights).
If not Rome or Nice then what? Hey, that Paris fare was cheap. I floated the idea with my mother and sister (it's the women who make the decisions in our family). Sold! I had the task of finding airfares ($600 for my parents via SuperTravel, http://www.super-travel.com/, $530 for my sister and boyfriend via Travelscape, http://www.travelscape.com/) and a place to stay (I ended up choosing Flatotel Eiffel Tower, which was an apartment-hotel. I reserved a three-bedroom apartment).
We booked the trip in October - relatively late for us. Normally when we're planning on using SystemWide Upgrades (hereafter referred to as SWUs) to upgrade to Business Class, we book months in advance. But we didn't make final plans on where we were spending the holiday until October, and by then the prime choice flights were long gone. Ideally, we'd go BOS-JFK-CDG: BOS-JFK on DL138 (internationally configured 767) connecting to DL118 JFK-CDG (777!!). But no dice, no upgradeable seats. And no options direct BOS-CDG either (on the AF codeshares). I begged my Delta Guardian Angel ("GA" or "DLGA") for help, who pointed us at our eventual final routing: BOS-CVG-CDG. We ended up paying a small penalty because CVG is outside the mileage permitted for BOS-CDG. But for business class, it was worth it!
I can't remember the last time I've travelled around Christmas without having a roadblock thrown at me. Last year, returning from Las Vegas, our plane was cancelled in SLC, so we spent two very nice hours with my husband's SLC-residing grandmother (she died two months later, so it was time I considered well spent). The year before that, my Grandmother died just after Christmas, and our flight BOS-JFK had been cancelled (of the BOS-JFK-BRU-BHX route), forcing us to go BOS-ATL-FRA-BHX (!).
Wednesday December 20 in the afternoon, I was sitting in my office noodling at DL's website. I always like knowing where the flights are going to arrive and depart from (gatewise). It helps me know how much carryon I should pack (if there's a long way between gates, I'll try harder to limit my carryons). For December 20, our first flight (DL2116) had been scrubbed. But the data for the previous day showed the flight operating as usual. Hm. Probably the weather (Boston's weather on the 20th had been not great).
I got home later on the 20th and hit the website again. Not content just with gate information, I wanted to know where the inbound equipment was coming from (knowing that can lead you to see delays before they become a problem). So I punch in DL2116 for 21 December. Departing from gate C33 at Logan. Fine. Arriving at CVG gate ... XLD? Oh no. Have you ever seen those letters in an airport before? Yes? Then you know what it means! I rush to get the phone and start dialing. My husband asks "what is it??", but I was afraid to tell him!
I dial 1-800-Special-Member-Services, and wait on hold for what seems like FOREVER. Finally I get an agent, and she's a gem. Yes, DL2116 is cancelled BOS-CVG on 21December. She will try and reroute us. I immediately bring up DL's website and ITN's website, looking for alternatives. DL's website is slow (arghh!), but ITN's tells me that there are still seats on DL138/118, which meant we'd be rerouted onto our preferred itinerary! Even better, the agent booked us in D class (which is a PAID class of service, unlike Z which is business class via upgrade). Extra bonus miles!
Part II: Day of Trip (including getting to Logan)
The next morning, we were up horrifically early (approx 0400). I check our
flights again, and wouldn't you know, DL2116 had become UNcancelled. What
was THAT all about? Unfortunately, even if we had wanted to go back to
that flight, it was too late. We'd lost our chance, as it was sold out.
Christopher was a little bummed at the loss of mileage until I reminded him
of the bonus miles for the D-class rebooking. And we don't need base miles
for the year.
I don't usually take the day of a trip to Europe off of work, but December
21 was different. In March of 2000 I had filed my N400 to become a
naturalized US citizen. I've been in the country for 20 years, but have
been satisfied with a green card. Ironically, one of the reasons that I
wanted to become a citizen was so I could leave the US for a long period
of time without having to worry about the nuisance of re-entry permits.
The INS in Boston is located at the JFK Federal Building, near Government
Center. I took the T from Kendall to Charles and walked up the hill
towards the JFK Bldg, as it was a nice (if brisk) day. Everybody entering
the JFK Building must go through a metal detector and send their bags
through an x-ray, just like at the airport. Funnily enough, I felt the
check that I went through en route to the INS was more thorough than the
one I went through later in the day at Logan!
The INS interview went well, and I got home about 12:45; Christopher was
still at work. However, it wasn't long before he got home. We were in a
cab en route to Logan at 1:30, arriving just before 2pm. The first bad
sign was the line for checking bags at the curb. The even worse sign was
the line for checking in INSIDE. Let me tell you, if you have ever wondered
what the benefit of being elite on an airline is, it's not having to stand
in THAT line. We dragged our luggage past the TWA desk to the
Medallion/First line, which had about four people ahead of us (and four
agents!). We were at the desk quickly.
The agent was in good humor, although I later suspected that she was new.
We'd been rebooked, and I knew the process (the agent would have to do an
online transfer done to issue us new tickets). She called the help desk
who walked her through it. Sign of geekdom: walk up to the agent and just
say "PNR VARAHN", while putting the passports down on the counter. :-) We
asked about seats on DL118 (the phone agents hadn't been able to assign
any). The ticket agent said "but you have seats here". Hm, I suspect
Angelic Intervention! After checking us and our two bags in, we went over
to BK to grab a quick snack.
The check-in line wasn't getting any shorter. Why did it matter if we'd
already checked in? Because sooner or later, the people in THAT line would
be in the line for security. We chose to make a quick trip through Relay
(nee Press Relay), make a BIIIIG loop around the landside area (just to
laugh at the lines), and then go through security. Security was quick,
especially because nobody knows about the almost-hidden third x-ray
machine (furthest to the left).
Our flight was due to depart from C26, the gate next to security. But it
was about 2:30 - 1 hour and 45 minutes before we would even board! Normally
we'd just cool our heels in the gate area. Of course, this time we're on
business class tickets. As a result, we had free and clear access to DL
Crown Room between gates C26 and C28. The Crown Room procedure changed
since the last time we'd been here - you now have to see an agent when you
enter (probably so they can verify if you're really supposed to be there).
So we showed our tickets and went off to find a seat.
The BOS Crown Room is split into two major areas: window-viewing
(including comfy couches) and business area. We headed for the latter.
Delta has begun installing wireless ethernet into their Crown Rooms, and
we hoped Boston would be one that already had it. Unfortunately for us, it
wasn't. But since we do have dialup access, we chose to do that. Blech,
only 14400bps! I forgot how BAD 14400bps is (we have DSL at home, and as
for work, it's MIT. Bandwidth. What more can I say? :-).
It's amazing how much email had queued up just since we left work/home.
Six of the messages were from GA, who confirmed that it was the angelic
touch which managed to secure our seats JFK-CDG (12H&K). I wondered what the
seats were like. DL's website told me that they were not the last row of
BizElite on the 777, but the second-to-last row. That's good, as I've been
in row 13 (the last row) before, and while it doesn't SUCK it's not quite
as spacious as a non-last-row would be.
We stayed in the Crown Room until about 1605, when we packed up for the
gate. We arrived there at 1610 and boarding was called at 1612. I'd seen
the ship from the Crown Room window: N182DN, 767-300ER. It had arrived
from LAX earlier. Previously, DL138 got its equipment from DL139
(JFK-BOS). But JFK is almost as bad as Boston in terms of weather delays.
The LAX flight arrived in plenty of time. Luckily the plane wasn't arriving
from ATL - two of the ATL flights had been cancelled (weather?).
Part III: BOS-JFK
DL138 sch dep BOS 1645, actual 1720. sch arr JFK ????, actual 1840
GA had offered us seats on the window side (normally I cannot stand the
center pair). But I honestly wasn't bothered - it's a very short flight.
So we settled into 4C&E happily. At the next gate over, Christopher noted
F-GHGH bound to CDG (AF direct 767-300ER). I made a lav run and noticed
that the overhead projectors were the 3-tube type. All while this was
happening, we kept getting hit by people in the aisles carrying HUUUGE bags
(nobody read my "Holiday Traveller's Plea"!). Well, the 767-300ER aisle in
BizElite IS narrow.
BizElite starting to look a little tired on this ship. Was it one of the
first to be refitted? Perhaps it was more the relatively quick turn for the
ship - about 90 minutes. I don't know why, but an effort was made to put
pillows and blankets on all of the BizElite seats. What's the point? I
mean, they'll just have to do it again in JFK. And the flight isn't
continuing anywhere today (I later found out that the plane was going
JFK-VCE. DL138 is the flight number that used to be used for JFK-MAN).
One of the FAs came by to take our jackets, and two minutes later came
back and gave them back. "It's such a short flight, I don't know if I'll
have time to get them out of the closet". Hard fact of life, but true
nonetheless. They barely take the jacket before they give it back again,
and honestly, I'd rather not sit with my jacket on my lap. The jackets we
have are not crushable, so we just dumped them in one overhead bin, with
the backpack in the second overhead bin. The middle bins on the 767
(overhead the middle seats) don't hold much, so I didn't feel bad taking up
too many bins. And as it turns out, the cabin wasn't full (and the second
BizElite cabin didn't have anybody in it at all!). Another FA came by
offering drinks (and we asked for our traditional water bottles).
The door was closed at 1706 (late, due to the late arrival of people. The
captain graciously agreed to wait due to the looooong lines), and we pushed
back at 1720 (late again, due to bags from those passengers being loaded).
We took off at 1737 (very quick, just seventeen minutes from pushback to
takeoff). I noted that there were overhead televisions in the aisle in
BizElite.
The captain turned off the seatbelt sign at 1741 (four minutes after
takeoff!). The FAs came around with a drinks service in BizElite (nothing
in coach). I asked for more water but the FA said there were no more
little bottles (!). I sent her packing and she soon found a couple. It
seems like the loss of small water bottles is a trend across the DL system.
On my MSY-ATL flight earlier in December I found no little (8oz) bottles of
water to be had! Instead, there were 1.5l bottles of Delta labelled water.
I didn't try asking for one (although perhaps they would have given me
one). The FAs also came around with a snack basket with summer harvest
mix, granola berry crunch (my favourite!), and biscoff cookies.
The captain lit the seatbelt light again at 1758, final at 1806, and we
touched down at 1826 (after what seemed like an interminable run out over
the water). After landing, we spotted a Biman DC-10 (with "Biman" on the
#2 engine - no mistaking it!), a North American 757 in new livery, a
National 757 and an Air Jamaica COLOURFUL 757. The captain told us we were
due into gate 8 (which means Worldport aka Terminal 3), and that it would
be a tow in. "If they left the engines on, that would really suck", said
Christopher. He meant the TransStates and Comair planes. As in, there was
quite a bit of stuff behind us and the engines would have sucked it in or
blew it away.
We docked and were out, and sure enough, it was gate 8. Even better, our
connecting flight was due out of gate 6, just down the way. We stopped by
to look at it. It was in the gate they used to use for SR planes, with two
jetways. Only one jetway was hooked up to THIS 777 though.
It was still early so we figured we'd go to the BizElite lounge. It was
very very empty. Last time we were in this lounge, that meant the food
disappeared. But there were plenty of things left when we came in. There
were many different types of nibbles: little cheesy crackers, veggie and
dip, etc. And there was the ubiquitous open bar, which I can never stand.
But mercy of mercies, there was a great pitcher of iced lemoned water with
glasses. Yum!
I visited the LOVELY lav (much better than the gross ones out in the
terminal), while Christopher mucked with the computer and nibbled. I
checked on the monitor at 1905 to see what it said about the flight, and it
was listed as "boarding". I came rushing back to Christopher and said
"time to go!", so we packed everything up and headed for the door. The
gate area was mobbed, so I asked a woman standing by the side "have they
called boarding yet?" and she said "only Business Class". So I began
pushing by all of the wannabes but before I could get to the front they
called Medallion boarding. Of course, most of the people on the plane
tried to get on, but the gate agents did a good job telling them to bugger
off (until their row was called).
Part IV: JFK-CDG
DL118 sch dep CDG 1940, actual 1945. sch arr CDG 0840, actual 0856
The first argh of the flight was the gate agent tearing the boarding card
in half and only giving me back the stub. Argh. They don't need to do
that if they have the scanner at the gate (and they DID have the scanner).
The stub doesn't give me nearly enough room to note down all of the things
I need for a trip report! [I was later forced to convert a bookmark to a
notepad!].
We settled down into our seats. There was a bottle of Evian water for each
of us at our seats. The efficient FA also came around to offer orange
juice, mimosa, or champagne (we said no). She whisked our jackets away
while we stowed one of our bags overhead and put the others under the seat
in front of us. An amenity kit awaited us in our seatback pocket, which
contained a toothbrush and toothpaste, hand creme, lip balm, an eyeshade,
and socks.
There were ultra-cool LCD monitors mounted by cantilever overhead in the
aisles. The 777 BizElite seats were noticably wider than the 767 BizElite
seats (and since we went from one to another it was a good way to compare).
The FAs then came around offering newspapers: USA Today, New York Times,
Wall Street Journal, and Financial Times. Christopher got a New York
Times; we'd read the WSJ and FT in the Crown Room at BOS, and USAT on the
flight from BOS to JFK.
I made a run to the lav before pushback (the great great GREAT big lav at
door 2R), and saw a picture posted of the menu options. But I was still
eager to see the details when the FA came around, which one of them shortly
did.
Food only as usual. Those marked with [*] were part of Express Classics
("allows you to enjoy an expedited service, whenever you wish, in lieu of
of individual courses")
Southwestern Chicken Wrap: stuffed with Green Chile Peppers, Roma
Tomatoes and Red Cabbage, flavored with Cilantro-Pesto Cream Cheese and
rolled in Lavosh [*]
Roasted Portabello Mushrooms topped with Garlic and diced Red Tomatoes [*]
Salad: Mesclun topped with sliced Mushrooms and julienned carrots, offered
with your choice of creamy Ranch Dressing or Italian-Herb Vinaigrette [*]
Assorted Rolls and Butter
Entrees:
Pan-roasted Duck: Tender breast of Duck prepared with a tangy Cherry
Balsamic Sauce, presented with Wild Rice Risotto Cake and sauteed Cabbage
with Red Onion. [*]
Vegetarian Pasta: Penne Primavera featuring Broccoli Florets, julienned
Carrots, Crookneck Squash, Peas and Cherry Tomatoes, complemented by a
flavorful Pesto Alfredo Sauce. (Steamed Shrimp may be added to this
entree). [*]
Simply Satisfying Soup: Hearty smoked Salmon and Corn Chowder garnished
with a Corn Kernel and Sweet Pepper Mix. [*]
Fruit and Cheese: Dried and fresh Fruit with a Cheese board featuring
selections from around the world....
Dessert:
Raspberry Amaretto Panna Cotta [*]
Neuhaus Fine Belgian Chocolates
Continuous Snacks: At the conclusion of the first meal service, a variety
of snacks will be available for your enjoyment (this was a fruit & cheese
cart).
Breakfast:
Yogurt
Cereal
Breakfast Breads with Butter and Preserves (croissants and bagels).
Fluffy sauteed Mushroom, Leek and Jarlsberg Cheese Omelet served with
roasted New Potatoes and grilled Turkey Canadian Bacon
The door was closed at 1945, and we pushed at 1948. The safety briefing
was played in both English and French (English with traditional Delta
demonstrations, French had just an animated video). Takeoff was a mere 24
minutes later, 2012. On both planes, we'd been setting land-speed records
getting from the gate to the runway. And we didn't have to wait behind
fifteen other planes either! Once aloft (with customary 777 force), the
captain turned off the fasten seatbelt sign at 2018.
The FAs soon came around to take dinner orders. I asked for nothing (as
usual). They also did something I've never seen before: asking people if
they wanted to be awakened for breakfast! I said "YES!" while my husband
(who was choosing to have dinner) said "no" :-).
I made one final lav run (I LOVE that lav at 2R), and then unbundled my
BizElite blanket (the cabin wasn't cold, I was using the blanket more for
comfort than anything else), got my BizElite pillow, and pressed the
"sleep" button on my seat controls (reclining the seat fully). Lumbar
support wasn't perfect, but I was able to adjust that from the controls. I
buckled my seatbelt OVER my blanket, inserted my earplugs, put on my
eyeshades, and promptly fell asleep. I woke up twice: once to see my
husband's ice cream sundae, and once when we hit turbulence.
Turns out the turbulence was at 0700 (Paris time), so I got up and went to
the lav again. When I got back, the FAs had turned on the cabin lights in
preparation for serving breakfast. I'd gotten somewhere around 4 hours
sleep! My husband didn't get that much, but he did get SOME.
The FAs came around carrying OJ, and then breakfast trays. Since I was
awake, they gave one of each to me. (This was reminiscent of my ATL-FRA
flight where they left the cabin lights off but brought trays around to
people who were awake). The tray contained cereal, milk (4oz. gods but
they skimp on milk!), fruit, butter, jam (strawberry), and a coffee cup I
never used. A tray trundled down the aisle about ten minutes later with
your choice of tea or coffee (neither, please), yoghurt, and the warm
breakfast breads (oh, sure, I'll have a croissant).
Breakfast done with (yummm), I got the laptop out for a few moments. It
wasn't long, however, before we started descending (0811). The captain
light the seatbelt sign at 0820, making his first announcement of the
morning (during the turbulence in the night the FAs came on the PA to make
announcements reminding people to belt up. I wonder why they do that? I
mean, since seatbelts are a requirement on Delta during flight anyways...).
After the seatbelt sign was lit I put the laptop away, and sure enough,
final came along at 0829. At this point, I couldn't see a thing. There was
a HUUUUGE deck of clouds. But after final, we started to get closer and
cloer to them. We went through the cotton wool-like clouds, and it was
perhaps ten seconds from clearing the cloud deck until we hit the runway at
0846. Ten minute taxi, and we were at the gate (0856).
Part V: Killing Time at CDG2
Off the plane. We had one thing in mind. We were scheduled to meet my
parents, my sister, and her boyfriend. They did not arrive until 1100 at
CDG1, however. To kill time, I'd done some research on the lounge available
to DL passengers: it had a shower! After disembarking, we stopped and
asked one of the DL uniformed agents about access to the lounge. She gave
us an invitation. We headed PAST passport control (not through it) to the
transfer area.
If only it were to be this easy. The security area would not permit us to
go through, even with an invitation to the lounge. We went off to the
transfer desk, and found an agent who said we should be allowed through.
The agent even walked with us to the security checkpoint. No dice, the
self-important security guy would not budge (dammit).
Obviously, a wake-up shower was not in my immediate future. Rather than
fight any harder, we chose to go through passport control and claim our
bags. At least this time there were two queues: a long one for all
passports, and a shorter (faster moving) one for EEA and Swiss passport
holders. We went in the latter. There were many people in that line, even
some with non-EU passports. In addition, there seemed to be more than an
average number of dogs. The line ended up turning into somewhat of a scrum,
with some people just joining the line wherever they were, as opposed to
at the back. This was a common theme of our Paris trip.
Immigration was simple (shove the passport at the French guy who glances at
it and shoves it back). Next task was bag claim. Ten months previously,
we'd flown through JFK to CDG and AF had lost our bags. Would DL be as
sloppy? Three minutes of waiting gave us the proof we needed: NO! Our big
suitcase came out, followed shortly by our small black duffel bag. DL
comes through again. We piled the bags on a cart and were soon clear of
customs (don't make eye contact).
We went over to the DL ticket desk to speak to them about the lounge issue.
They too thought that we should be able to have access to the lounge if we
wanted it, but said they would not be allowed to let us into the airside
area once we'd come landside. I had no problem with that. I just wanted
them to clear up their misconceptions. I'm not sure if the DL-uniformed
personnel at CDG2C are DL paid or AF paid. I suspect the former. In any
case, it was neither DL's nor AF's fault that I couldn't have a shower: it
was the fault of the security guy.
With our bags still on a luggage cart, we chose to make our way over to
Terminal 1. It was about 1000, and my parents were due in at 1100. I had
no idea how long it would take us to get a us to CDG1, nor how long the
ride would be. Always better to play it safe. So we rolled our cart over
to the sign for Terminal 1 (which is a door in between 2C and 2A). We just
missed it! Argh! (Again, I had no idea how frequent the buses were). But
wait, there's another bus stop immediately across, between 2D and 2B. So we
took the elevator downstairs (another scrum for the elevator) and rolled
underground and up the elevator on the far side.
We went outside to the doors between 2B and 2D. The first bus came along
and it was MOBBED. I said "let's wait", so we did. We took the opportunity
to stand in exactly the right place for the next bus. It rolled up, and we
got on at the midships door, putting three bags on one seat, while
Christopher sat on another with the big green suitcase in between.
We were off en route to Terminal 1 by way of long term parking. Lots and
lots of people got off at parking, so we had a mostly empty bus pull into
Terminal 1. Hm. I wonder if it will be an empty terminal. Surely most
people would have left on their holidays by now. (of course not. And don't
call me Shirley!)
Into Terminal 1. Ohmygod the LINES. Terminal C at Logan was nothing
compared to this. There was nowhere to breathe. We circled the ground
floor looking for an ATM (if I'd known how bad Terminal 1 was going to be,
I would have waited in the queue at T2C!). And even worse, the only
(obvious) way to the arrivals level was via three elevators which were, of
course, mobbed. So we fought our way up (not easy with our suitcase load)
and emerged onto yet another mobbed floor (arrivals). By this point it was
about 1030. There was no sign of my parents' flight (NW50 SEA-DTW-CDG) on
the arrivals board. I got a bit panicky. Christopher suggested I go down
and check at the Northwest desk, which I did. They said the flight was
delayed and would not arrive until 1320.
So what to do with two hours at CDG? Well there was no way in hell I was
going to stay in Terminal 1 if you paid me! That left two options: T9
(charter-like leper land) or back to Terminal 2. Easy choice. But where in
Terminal 2? We'd done 2C. We ended up choosing 2F because it seemed like
there would be more to see (it's the biggest single terminal).
Back on the hellavator, and out the way we came. Oh wait, that's not the
right way to go. You can't get on the bus at the same place you get off.
You have to go to a totally separate place instead. Argh! Another scrum
for the bus, but we won this time. We got on the back of the bus and
opened a window (CDG1 was HOT HOT HOT). The bus went past central parking
again, and then through the Terminal 2 loop. I took interest in the
construction of Terminal 2E. Should be neat (I expect DL will move into
it).
Around to 2F, and we disembarked. A kind person had left a couple of carts
by the bus stop. That seems to be the way at CDG. Leave carts at the bus
stop, because somebody else will come by and use the cart. We loaded up one
cart and headed off into the terminal. Hm. The first thing I noticed was
ripped newspaper on the floor. Hm. Christopher pointed out a sign that
said the cleaning people were on strike (with the usual apologies). It
affected not just the litterbins and floors, but the toilets as well! The
airport had been forced to close the toilets in the terminal and bring in
portable toilets and put them out on the kerb. Ung.
We strolled through the departures floor of T2F, and then took the elevator
(full of newspaper) down to the arrivals level. T2F certainly seemed very
civilized, and much less crowded than T2C. I was thirsty at this point, but
it seems that unlike in the USA, you can't just buy a bottle of water at a
newsstand. The cafe upstairs was smoky. Christopher spotted a vending
machine on the arrivals level, so I dumped some French money at it and got
a 33cl bottle of flavoured water from it.
Terminal 2F did seem to be much quieter than either T2C or certainly T1.
We were able to have a nice leisurely stroll without getting jostled or
pushed. The arrivals level landside has clear plastic so you can see into
airside. A nice touch if you're waiting to see if the person you're
meeting is coming out of customs (more on that later!).
Onwards, and we walked through the last bits of T2F, and followed the signs
for RER-TGV. The last time we flew into Paris, we took the RER from this
very station into Paris. Rather than dawdle at a part of the airport we
already knew, we kept on walking into T2D. Yuck. I'd forgotten that of
2A,B,C,D, only T2C is dual level (arrivals on lower, departures on upper).
T2D had everything crammed into one area. It wasn't quite as busy as T2C or
T1, however.
Part VI: The Hell known as CDG1
We'd been doing a good job of killing time, so we abandoned our cart at the
bus stop between T2D and T2B and caught the bus (again!) back to Terminal
1. Things seemed a little quieter then, at least on the ground floor. We
went back up to arrivals and staked out a vantage point so we could see the
exit from customs. It was just about 1210, and the arrivals board listed
1220 as the arrival time. I figured it would take at least 20 minutes for
them to get in and through (but not much more, as I knew they were sitting
near the front of the plane).
However, I failed to take into account Terminal 1's layout. The terminal
is a central location for ticketing and bag claim/immigration, but the
actual boarding/disembarking happens at remote satellites. I later learned
that the airport quotes at least 20 minutes between central terminal and a
satellite.
The arrivals board put the arrival of NW50 exiting from gate 2. Terminal
1's central area is one huge circle. The information desk is approximately
at 0/36, and there are two exits from customs: gate 2, and gate 34. In
between, approximately 1000 people wait for their loved ones to exit,
hoping to be able to see them and not miss them. And because they couldn't
pass up the chance at a buck, ADP (Aeroports d'Paris) helpfully filled
most of this space with concessions (although not good ones). Argh! If
they'd used the space more wisely, the area wouldn't have been so MOBBED.
I staked out a space on the wall near gate 2, putting the cart up against
the wall. I then proceeded to stand on the edge of the cart to get more
height. Christopher went off next to the smoky bar (note that the airport
was almost entirely non-smoking, which didn't stop French people from
lighting up) to be directly across from the customs exit. Both gate 2 and
gate 34 had exits from customs followed by two ways to leave. Between us,
we hoped to be able to scope out my family from either direction. I kept a
close eye on my cart. I think I had been targeted for pickpocketing, as I
had one guy come and stand very close to me and eye my luggage. I made
sure to reorganize the cart so that everything was looped through each
other, and thus harder to take.
It was 1:45 before my Mum and Dad finally emerged from customs. Even
better, we spotted them (what I wouldn't have given for clear plastic
"walls" [like in T2F]to see how they were doing)! I was wondering where my
sister and her boyfriend were, but my Mum said that they were "right
behind". My Dad then told me that he'd left a plastic bag on the plane, so
I took him off to the Northwest desk to find out how to get it back. They
directed us to baggage services.
Pay attention if you want to know this trick. Stand at the information
desk on the arrivals level of T1, facing the newsstand. Take a left, going
around the circular hallway (past gate 34). There is an opaque plastic
door saying "do not enter" on the right. If you go in that door, you're
behind customs again, and also you are able to access baggage services.
Honestly, if I'd known, I might have sent Christopher in to look for my
parents while I stayed out with the bags. It would have saved an hour of
standing on the edge of a cart hoping it doesn't fall. You have to exit
customs once you're done, of course. But it's Europe - so what? (no
nuisance inspections from officials).
We found the baggage services desk and proceeded to queue. Not three
minutes later, I heard "Helen!". My sister was in the back of the queue!
I invited her up to join me at the front (giving her a hug so that people
didn't think we weren't connected). Unfortunately, NW/KLM only had one
person staffing the baggage desk. They soon put on another person,
however, so we got helped pretty quickly.
My sister had flown NW 50, SEA-DTW-CDG. Of course, the flight number is the
same, but it's two different planes SEA-DTW (757) and DTW-CDG (DC-10). The
SEA-DTW was late inbound, and my sister and her boyfriend had a LOOOONG run
at DTW (and you know how those runs can be) to get to the CDG flight. Even
though the DC-10 sat on the ground for an hour afterwards (maintenance on
the #2 engine), all of the bags from the Seattle flight did not make the
CDG flight. Go figure!
We filed a lost bag report for my sister's bags and my father's lost
plastic bag, and exited customs (again). My husband and my mother had gone
and found a better place to stake out rather than the exit from gate 2 (as
my father had gone back to tell them that my sister was still stuck
inside). We went over there, and I rang our airport shuttle, Paris Airport
Service, http://www.parisairportservice.com/. They said that due to "high
traffic" it would take 30 minutes to get a driver to our location. I went
with Christopher and we grabbed a snack and a drink, and by the time we got
back to the rest of the gang, the shuttle arrived (I made sure we left our
bag carts by the kerb). It was 1600 before we arrived in Paris!
Part VII: Getting out of France
During our time in France we stayed in three accomodations. All of them
served our purposes very well. For the first week (Dec 22 - 30) we stayed
at the Flatotel Eiffel Tower in the 15th (near Charles Michels metro and
Beaugrenelle shopping centre). It was a three-bedroom apartment-hotel, with
two bathrooms and a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower. Our room was on the
28th floor. The aparthotel was close to shops (Monoprix at Beaugrenelle
had a food hall) and with a full kitchen, we could cook meals in if we
wanted (important for December 25 as we didn't know if anything would be
open).
December 30, my sister and her boyfriend returned to the USA. Early that
morning, my father and I walked over to Avis (also in the 15th) and
collected a rental car (actually, a rental van). We drove it back to
Flatotel, checked out, and drove my sister and her boyfriend to CDG1
(and their NW flight). Then we hit the road for Normandy, specifically
Bayeux and the D-Day beaches. Our first night we stayed in a tiny
village called Crepon at a hotel named Hotel Restaurant Ferme de la
Raconniere
(http://www.123france.com/europe/france/basse-normandie/hotels/horancus.htm).
I found it on the web, and boy was it worth it. Both our room and my
parents room were absolutely gorgeous. The food was good, too! (we'd
gotten a half-board deal, with dinner on the 30th and breakfast on the
31st).
We spent the 31st viewing Arromanches and other D-Day beaches. Later in the
31st we moved to Rouen and saw the Cathedral. We stayed the night at
Novotel Rouen Sud in Saint Etienne Du Rouvray. The hotel was chosen mainly
because of its proximity to the main road to Paris (A13). As it turns out,
they were having a half-off deal. We ended up getting two rooms, dinner,
and breakfast for approx $200 (it was 200 Euros, so figure about $180).
1January
This time was not much different. We went through the checkpoint for
L'Espace check in (Business Class) and got into line. It took
approximately 20 minutes to get to the front of a line, even though there
were only 4-5 people in front of us. While I stood in line, Christopher
took our bags over to the great shrinkwrap machine. Luggage shrinkwrapping
is a perq of L'Espace travel. Since we'd arrived so early (and our bags
would be sitting around for so long without us), we were especially
interested in using the service. Even better: it was no additional cost!
We (finally) got to the front of the line. The agent looked at our record
and was very confused. She didn't understand why our seats had been
changed so many times. Well every time somebody touched our record, we lost
our seat assignments on DL8202/AF332. She reinstated them (3A&B) and
checked our bags through to Boston (well, it's only a nonstop flight).
Then we headed off to queue for passport control. Why haven't the French
gotten rid of outgoing passport control? The British have (and the British
are very nervous regarding their borders). It was 60 minutes from when we
arrived at CDG until we were through security (security is after passport
control). We took a brief look in the terminal and then ran off to the
respite of the lounge. The terminal was busy! I had hoped that January 1
would not be a busy travel day. That's just my illusions I guess.
We went into the lounge and found a place to sit (a desk with a power
point). There was a phone jack but it wasn't live. There seemed to be lots
of kids in the lounge - obviously travelling C class with their parents.
One family had taken over a whole set of chairs and turned it into a play
area for their children. The lounge was very well stocked with food and
drink - all kinds of drinks (including bottled water), and nibbled
(croissants when we arrived). I had brought bottled water but I guess I
didn't need to!
My only complaint with the lounge is that while the people were quiet
(whispering) there were TONS of announcements. Honestly, they must have
said "last call" for Cayenne about three times. Why not just leave general
boarding to the monitors (which were well spaced throughout the lounge)
and only make ONE last call announcement per flight? Oh well; who am I to
question Air France's operations? I gave up and put my headphones on so I
wouldn't have to hear the announcements. Oh, and the shower I so badly
wanted to visit on 22 December was closed (no reason given).
Christopher and I took turns going out into the terminal to look around.
There wasn't much out there. Okay, CDG only has about ten jetways (plus
another ten "gates" which are really just docking areas for mobile lounges
to hardstands), but there didn't seem to be much in the way of a large
selection of duty free shops. AF does have the plus that all of the
flights out of T2C are intercontinental, thus they can offer Duty Free
(T2D is all Schengen, so no Duty Free).
We went through three 330ml bottles of Evian while in the lounge. In
addition, I chomped on some plain crackers. Later in our visit, sandwiches
appeared. They were cheese and tomato - yum! The lounge also had a public
computer which had Internet access. I browsed a few sites and Christopher
read his work email (my workplace doesn't offer web-based email - yet!).
Before too long it was time to pack up and head for the gate (C85). We
were at the gate for just before 1230, with boarding scheduled to be
called for exactly that time. It wasn't actually called until about 1238
or so. In the meantime, we grabbed the customs forms that we would need (I
had earlier taken a US Citizen travel form and filled it out for
Christopher). We were first on board. That was a good thing, as the
boarding call was "cattle call" - no boarding by priority or row
number. Nor was it announced over the PA - the gate agent just SHOUTED!
Part VIII: The Trip Back
DL8202 (AF332) sch dep CDG 1315, actual 1328. sch arr BOS 1500, actual 1501
We had barely reached our seats before a courteous FA came along and
offered to take our jackets. In each seatback pocket (in Business class)
there was a hangar already labelled with the seat number. I wanted to stow
a couple of our bags overhead, but the overhead over 3A&B was full of an
onboard wheelchair. At checkin, the agent had told us that Business class
on this flight was "not full" so we just stowed our bags over 2A&B. One
guy ended up in 2A, but 2B went empty. Newspapers were passed out (no thank
you, I read all of the English language ones in the lounge). Drinks were
also offered (water, OJ, champagne).
The doors were closed at 1324 (late due to transfer baggage - isn't that
the reason for late departures worldwide?), and we pushed back promptly at
1328. I was forced to watch the safety video with the disgustingly perky
French guy doing the English narration from the overhead video screens (in
the aisle, TV-style). While taxiing over I saw my parents' plane (NW
DC-10), as well as what looked like a South African special livery 747-400.
Immediately in front of us for takeoff was the CX special-livery 747 (all
green). Boy were its wings HEAVY! They were definitely full of fuel.
We did a rolling takeoff from runway 27L at 1345. The menu was passed out
just as we were taxiing. It was dated "December" (we did get January
in-flight magazines, but December food!). It was, of course, printed in
French and English. Nowhere on it was Delta mentioned.
Choice of Hors D'Oeuvre
Choice of Main Courses
Our special selection of cheeses
Assorted Desserts
Chocolates
After takeoff, the FAs came around with hot towels. Now these were not
just piping hot, they were also much thicker than DL's typical skimpy
rags. Due to the cabin not being completely full (19 out of 26 seats
taken), there were many hot towels left. I was half tempted to ask for
another!
After takeoff I took the time to fuss with the inseat video. Puny, perhaps
5-6". And mine was all floppy and wouldn't stay in place without prompting.
L'Espace Affaires (nee' L'Espace 127) is not aging well on these 767s. The
only good thing I have to say about the setup is that 2-1-2 is perfect.
2-2-2 on Delta's 767s is very narrow. Seat pitch in L'Espace Affaires was
certainly not 60" (it might have been 50"), nor was recline anywhere near
160 deg. But this wasn't an overnight flight so I wasn't quite as bothered.
The extra seat width was welcome. Another complaint was lack of individual
air vents. The leg controls for the seat were strange (you press what I
would consider to be "down" to make the leg rest go up). And the seat
didn't recline very far. Fully extended, my feet were banging into the
seat in front of me. Now I remember why I like BizElite.
Christopher craned his neck on climbout and saw a pair of Concordes on the
tarmac, including one which looked like it was in the engine test area. We
mused about the loss of such a beautiful plane (we saw an exit for Gonesse
on the autoroute). Air France's magazines still list the Concorde in their
fleet and have pictures of it in the magazine diagram of the terminals.
After takeoff the FAs came around doing a drinks service. I had the first
of many glasses of water. They also offered a bag of snackmix with each
drink; the snackmix was a cross between summer harvest (without nuts) and
granola berry. Very odd.
Not long after came the meal cart. I thought it was just the setup cart,
but it was the cart with the setup (linen) and Hors D'Oeuvre. We both had
the salad. Clearly, AF had refrigerated this cart within an inch of its
life. The salad dressing and butter were both frozen solid. I won't tell
you what I had to do to warm them up.
The salad was certainly full of Frisee'. I chose to skip the main course
and go straight for the cheese. Bread (not warmed) was passed out with
the salad and main course, so I ended up having a cheese sandwich for
lunch. Yum. Christopher had the lamb. It was good, and the potatoes
were yummy. Cheese course afterwards (no more for me, none for
Christopher). Dessert followed. I had the sherbet and cookies,
Christopher had the pear tart.
AF seems to be wildly schizophrenic. They take the time to put a metal
napkin ring on the napkin and silverwear setup, but they served the sherbet
in a paper cup (likewise for the cookies). It just seemed not nearly as
elegant as it could have been. Don't get me wrong, the food was still
good. But for an airline which prides itself on excellence, providing
butter from a pre-packaged container and sherbet in a paper cup seems
like skimping.
Afterwards I watched the movie (Cooler Climate with Sally Field - at least
I think that was the name. It was largely unforgettable) while Christopher
read and then listened to MP3s on the laptop (one minus of AF business
class: no in-seat laptop power in L'Espace. Boo-hiss!). Unfortunately I
had to have my inseat video configured to the movie to hear the sound
(through the noise cancelling headphones) even though I'd rather have had
airshow on the ISV and the movie overhead.
I made a couple of runs to the lav, and also visited the in-flight
bar. Behind door 2L was a small setup with pour-your-own drinks (water,
juices, sodas, etc), as well as chocolates (yummm), and all of the setup
a drink would require (including icecubes and sliced lemon!). One coach
passenger came through while I was standing there and proceeded to ask
me for a drink (I wasn't wearing royal or navy blue - I was wearing
green!). The FA came over and kicked her out and sent her back to the
back of the plane. At all times, the FAs made a big effort to keep coach
pax out of the business class cabin. There were two lavs, one foreward
of 1L and one foreward of 2L. Both were for C class (and cabin staff)
only.
I later gave in and let myself take a nap (oh it was a hardship it
was). Zzzz. When I woke up the cabin staff were rolling down the aisles
with the snack. They'd waited until just 60 minutes before landing to do
this snack. It brought home to me how small the 767-300 is compared to
the last AF flight we took (747-400). The 747-400 was HUGE and
everything, including cabin service, took longer. The 767-300 seemed
alot more personal.
The snack consisted of two cold pieces of chicken, four slices of cheese
(two provolone, two cheddar), one slice of bread (stale), a piece of
iceberg lettuce, some gross coleslaw, two pieces of fruit (kiwi,
mandarin orange), and the best part: apple cake. I gnawed right through
the cake (and ate the cheese and chicken). Yum. While I wasn't excited
by having a full meal for lunch, the snack certainly hit the spot.
Soon after they collected the plates, the purser put the Boston immigration
video in (note that the purser didn't show her face the entire flight: she
just hid in the galley by door 1R). It was quite good! There was a video
layout of Terminal E at Boston showing you how to go through immigration
and customs, and even the transfer desk! Christopher noted that it was new
(May 2000). We found out later that the video was already out of date (due
to the ongoing expansion of Terminal E), however.
The FAs then came around picking people to fill out a survey. Christopher
was given one. That means I got to fill it out! (I'm the form-filler in
our family). One of the questions was about same class of service on
same route on another airline. I rated AF as inferior to DL in most
ways. The cabin crew on both flights were excellent (and the survey
reflected that). But nowhere did I put AF ahead of DL. At most, they
were the same. I specifically noted that the seat was less comfortable
(even though it was 2-1-2 seating).
We started descent at 1431 (a mere ~25 minutes before arrival time!). AF
policy is to announce descent and ask people to fasten their seatbelts,
but not to light the seatbelt sign until later (1443). Final was "rung"
at 1452 (which consisted of an announcement in French followed by the
cabin crew doing all of the things that should be done on final, such as
pulling the curtains back between the cabins). We touched down at 1456
and pulled into gate 4 at Terminal E at 1501.
Part IX: Conclusion
All in all, a good trip! I can't believe it's over already. The Paris
week went by in a flash, and Normandy was even quicker. Next time I
think I'll stay at the Hotel Ferme de la Ranconniere for about five days
to do the D-Day sites justice.
As for the airlines, BizElite wins again, as usual. AF did have their
bright spots, however. As I mentioned, the cabin crew was superb. All of
the passengers in the Business Class cabin were treated exceptionally
well. Ground handling was not the greatest (Christopher likes to point
out the single-queue multiple-server is the most efficient method. DL
employs this for check-in at BOS. AF employed multiple-queue multiple-
server for check-in at the L'Espace lines at CDG, which meant it was
inefficient).
Will I be back on AF again? Undoubtedly. DL's partnership with them
makes it inevitable. Will I go out of my way to fly on DL118/119 (the
JFK-CDG 777 flights)? Definitely! The seats were that much better and
the service had those little touches which were just a little more high
class. But then again, DL's aircraft are two class, while AF sells three
classes (although their 767s are two class only).
Next trip (and report): ??? PHX in the spring time. I expect we'll do a
mileage run to Europe before then, however. AMS or BRU, or perhaps
LYS. We'll see!
767-300ER, N682DN, 8 FA's (4C, 4Y), seats 4C&E.
777-200, N866DA, ? FA's (6-8C, ?Y), seats 12H&K.
Blackened Cowboy Steak: Pan-seared Omaha Steaks enhanced with charred
Tomato Sauce, accompanied by roasted Corn and Black Beans with Pine Nuts
and grilled vegetables. [*]
Newman's Own Obscene Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Sundae with your choice of
Chocolate, Caramel and Raspberry Sauce, Whipped Cream, chopped nuts, and
garnished with a Pirouline Cookie
Fresh Fruit (grapefruit, strawberries, melon)
We were up early (too early!) and en route to CDG by 0800. I like to say
that I come from a long line of lead-footed women. Well, my Dad has a lead
foot too! We pulled into CDG just about 0930 - in other words, VERY early
for a 1315 flight. That was OK. The last time we flew out of CDG it took
us approximately 90 minutes from arrival at the airport until we were
through security. My parents bid us adieu and headed off for CDG1 and their
NW flight.
767-300ER, F-GHGF, 9 FA's (3C, 5Y), seats 3A&B.
Foie gras medallion, celery salad with pink peppercorns and smoked breast
of duck.
Frisee' salad with bell pepper and zucchini, marinated crayfish and smoked
filet of salmon with dill.
Pan-seared lamb chop with shallot butter, potatoes au gratin, cherry
tomato and sweet peas.
Venison medallion with black pepper sauce, Anna potatoes, porcini mushrooms
with red wine sauce and chestnut puree.
From Savoie: Fillet of salmon trout, cream sauce with chives and Savoie
white wine, saffron basmati rice, spinach flan with cranberries.
Camembert, reblochon, tomme de Savoie
Festive season dessert, pear tart, Mont Blanc macaroon
Sherbet served with cookies (choice of peach, lemon, and blackberry)
Basket of fruit
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