>> American will mark the 20th anniversary of its DFW-London/Gatwick >> service on >> May 19. The flights, which were initially operated using a Boeing 747, >> marked the return of AA's international service to Europe after a >> 32-year >> absence. The service began with five flights a week and quickly grew >> to >> daily service. I didn't get to take that inaugural service in a 747, but did fly that route on AA a couple of years later, in 1984. By then it had switched to a DC-10-30, which I believe were acquired from Air New Zealand. Truth be told, it was an awful flight. I picked AA since it was the cheapest fare from SFO-London, routed via DFW. It was my first trip abroad alone, and I was very enthusiastic. The DFW-LGW flight was delayed about 2 hours, no announced reason. We finally took off, and I was in a port-side window seat in economy. Next to me was a loud, hard-drinking Texas lawyer, traveling with some people across the aisle and behind us. On his third drink, either he or the FA mis-handled it, and I ended up with a scotch and soda in my lap. Not good. My jeans were soaked through. Luckily, they had dressing-gowns for the F passengers on this flight, and I changed out of my trousers in the lav. AA gave me a certificate for dry-cleaning (ha!). Then came dinner. By the time they got to me they were out of whatever the good choice was, and I got the so-called canelloni, which had been burned onto the plastic plate. Ewww. And it apparently was the absolute last economy meal aboard. The FA took pity on me due to the scotch incident, and rustled up a spare shrimp salad from F, and some bread, and some of the "good" wine from up front. So, came time to debark, and I had to change back into my scotch-soaked jeans. Just what I wanted to present myself at Passport Control in, and try to rent a hotel room in! Well, if it was a problem, I at least had the dry-cleaning chit from AA to wave at them. No problem there, and when I showed up at my hotel, I explained at the front desk, and they were very nice and after I'd changed in the room they sent them down to be laundered for no charge. The return flight was OK, and none of this (except the burned food) was really AA's fault, but I've never been on another international flight on AA, nor have I been back to Gatwick. -- Michael C. Berch mcb@postmodern.com (nothing like a vintage flight report from 18 years ago!)