Good trip report and I'm glad to see your memory cells still working. Jose Prize Fan of the good old days In a message dated 5/22/2002 6:25:12 PM Eastern Daylight Time, mcb@postmodern.com writes: > Subj:Re: AA Celebrates 20 years to London > Date:5/22/2002 6:25:12 PM Eastern Daylight Time > From:<A HREF="mailto:mcb@postmodern.com";>mcb@postmodern.com</A> > Reply-to:<A HREF="mailto:AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU";>AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU</A> > To:<A HREF="mailto:AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU";>AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU</A> > Sent from the Internet > > > > >> 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!) >