Bristol, England: Arriving in Amsterdam Schipol

17FEB08 Amsterdam Schipol International, Amsterdam Netherlands (AMS)

As we made our way to the gate, I saw several planes; Transavia's new fleet of Boeing 737-700s with winglets looked impressive, as did a Lufthansa Regional CRJ700 and a KLM Fokker100, Finnair and TAP's A319s and Alitalia MD80 and a plethora of others. Here are a few of them:










I deplaned once at the gate and headed for the Continental counter as I had a question for them. This guy came up and said he had a flight that was leaving right away and they were late, I let him go ahead although he was not telling the truth as he had two hours to his flight.

I got my question answered and headed for the KLM Transfer desk. On my way over there I saw a Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-800 with winglets; it looked quite new.


I got to the desk and got a standby boarding card, then headed for the KLM Crown Lounge. #41 was full and directed me to #52 which was full, but still had some room.

I showed my credentials and entered leaving my ticket as I needed to borrow a power plug. The Lounge has a fantastic view of the tarmac, so you can see all the planes at the gates, taxiing and landing and taking off as well.

I had some refreshments while I await the flight. I had thought of going into the city, but I have a few things I have to do online, so I will just hang out here.

Bristol, England: Houston to Amsterdam

CO46 15FEB08 Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH) to Amsterdam Schipol International, Amsterdam Netherlands (AMS) 764 7:05a 11:40a +1 Day N??059

Flight Time: 8:54

I boarded and showed my boarding pass to the greeting flight attendant. There was a passenger at the door and I joked that he should be checking my boarding pass and he laughed. I think he was waiting for his Duty Free.

I settled into my aisle seat as the guy on the other aisle settled in as well in this cabin of 2-3-2 configured cloth seats. Each seat has an individual seat back video unit and in addition, there were overhead monitors throughout the cabin. I was fortunate that my row had power outlets, but I had not brought my Empower adapter that was required to use the outlet :-(. On this plane power outlets in Economy class up to row 23.

I got on the phone to chat with a friend as I waited and was interrupted by the gate agent with a boarding pass for BusinessFirst, he may not have been happy with me as I did not sit in the bulkhead row as he had suggested, but he did not show it; I hastily said goodbye and switched cabins. The BusinessFirst cabin has a 2-1-2 configuration using cloth seats with a individual monitors in each seat plus a power plug which requires an adapter. In addition, the seats are wider and has a generous recline. You can find more details here. I was lucky to score an aisle on the left side.

I said hello to my female seat mate and settled in. As I did so, a flight attendant asked if he could hang my jacket and then a menu and an amenity kit was presented. The door was closing as I did so, so I was unable to call by my friend on the phone.

The lead flight attendant then came by and asked for my order; I chose the Tilapia and lobster with shellfish sauce, presented over steamed jasmine rice, with grilled cherry tomato and green asparagus spears plus a Mesclun salad mix and romaine lettuce with roasted yellow tomato, cherry tomato, red onion and fresh mozzarella cheese with some creamy Thousand Island dressing; the other dressing was La Flora Italian herb vinaigrette.

My other choices were:

Grilled Sterling Silver tenderloin steak with chimichurri sauce,
grilled carrots, mushrooms, red bell pepper, broccoli florets
and spicy rice with corn, jalapeño peppers, sour cream
and cheese

herbed breast of Chicken

With creamy mushroom sauce, grilled yellow squash, zucchini, red bell pepper and sweet plantains

Pasta Bowl

Whole-wheat tortelloni with marinara sauce, eggplant
and bean confit, fresh mozzarella cheese and freshly grated Parmesan cheese

The safety demo started in English and the pushback started a minute later at 7:01p. We had quite the taxi out and I actually fell asleep and awoke for the takeoff roll. It was a bumpy climb out as we navigated the rain clouds around the area.

As the climb continued, the lead flight attendant came on the PA with an announcement welcoming everyone on board and talking about the plane and the service to expect, he said that there are no lavs in the back of the plane (this is always helpful as this is one the rare airplanes configured with no rear lavs), 3 EUR or 5 USD for alcoholic drinks, beverages and headsets were complimentary, Duty free is for sale with prices in USD, cash, credit card and foreign currency is accepted for payment. In addition, there was also a SkyMall announcement made saying that there is a special discount if you buy with 48 hours of your flight. He continued that at 1.5 hours before touchdown there will be a breakfast service; and that an early arrival was expected at 11:20a. The announcement was only made in English.

Next, hot towels were handed out, which was a refreshing addition.

At 7:48p the captain came on the PA and said that we were at 33,000’ our initial cruising altitude; he apologized for the bumps we had on climb out and said that in 5-10 minutes the ride should improve. He talked about our route of flight adding that we would be leaving land at Gander, New Foundland and then making landfall on the other side of the Atlantic at the western shore of Ireland, then head just north of Manchester, England and then across into Amsterdam. We would cover 4,400 nautical miles at the end of the trip and the 100mph tailwind would aid our arrival at 11:15a on the ground with a 10-15 minutes taxi to the gate. Sit back relax and enjoy the flight he says; the 10-15 minute taxi meant that we would be landing on that very far runway I thought.

The hot towels were cleared followed by the lead flight attendant preparing out tray tables with a pink table cloth; the movies started at 7:53p. On tap today were:

1. Michael Clayton/FutureCar: The Body
2. Good Luck Chuck/The Phil Silvers Show
3. We Own the Night/Get Fresh with Sarah Snow
4. The Drama Channel
5. Continental Presents HBO: Big Love, Da Ali G Show, Deadwood
6. Things We Lost in the Fire/Cover Shot
7. Kiss Me Kat/Lifestyle 365
8. Continental Presents Independent Films: Paradise, Texas
9. Continental Presents Hous
10. Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium/Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends
11. Continental Family Channel 1:Sesam Street Presents: Follow That Bird/The Road Runner Show, Tweety’s Circus, Baby Looney Tunes
12. King of California/Ojo Criticio
13. Bee Movie/Tom and Jerry Tales
14. Continental Presents CSI
15. Comedy Programming: The New Adventure of Old Christine, Malcolm in the Middle, Everybody Hates Chris, Everybody Loves Raymond, The King of Queens, Shaun the Sheep
16. The Entertainment Channel
17. Airshow

I chose “We Own the Night.”

We were then offered a beverage of choice and a small bowl of cashew nuts; I had two choices of white wine; French Chardonnay or a Chilean Chardonnay in terms of beer, they had (Heineken, Foster, Miller Lite and Miller Genuine draft)

The flight attendant came by again and dressed up my table with cutlery and a napkin, a bread plate, butter, salt and pepper some water and offered for me to try the 2005 French Chardonnay; the 2004 Chilean wine is so much better than that French J.

Finally, the seatbelt signs were turned off at 8:18p; bread followed with choices of whole grain, sesame, white and garlic; I opted to try the garlic.

The appetizers of a demitasse of morel mushroom soup accompanied by a grilled rosemary shrimp skewer and beef empanada, with Amazon sauce came next which were awesome!

Then the salad, followed by the main course at about 8:45p.




The plates were then cleared, the fruit, cheese and crackers followed.

A bottle of water was given to me and then followed up with vanilla ice cream plus strawberry topping and cherries. I also had the choice of hot fudge, caramel and nuts, plus whipped cream.


After eating all this, I brushed my teeth and went to sleep after tuning the entertainment system to the Latin music audio channel, we were just over Portland, Maine at the time. When I awoke later, i was just off the coast of Ireland with about 1:52 to go. I got up and went to the lavatory and then came back to my "bed."

I went back to sleep and missed the hot towel that was handed out at 1:24 to go, before the start of the breakfast service. Juices were offered, then a table cloth was placed on my chair table. Next, I got a tray, with a yogurt, utensils and a napkin, plus salt and pepper, butter and a fruit bowl (cantaloupe, grapes, strawberry and pineapple).


Next came a cart with offerings of croissants, cinnamon rolls or hard roll with jam plus coffee, tea and more water. I had some croissant with jam and some tea with lemon.

I then had a choice of cereal and a banana or scrambled eggs with herbs with potato gratin, grilled smoked pork loin, turkey sausage patty and sauteed button mushrooms. I chose the latter. I did not eat too much as the potato was a bit cold and the eggs were not as hot as I wanted them. I did not bother to ask the flight attendant to re-heat.


By now, were over the Irish Sea and heading for England.


With 0:52 to go, the lead flight attendant announced that there were no landing documents for Amsterdam, just a verbal interview plus your travel documents. He then started an arrival video that talked about Amsterdam and what to expect.

We commenced our descent just as we passed over Norwich, England and entered the North Sea. Th Captain, came on the PA and announced that the temp was 1C/34F, the winds were calms and it was a beautiful day out. He said we should land at about 11:20a and should be at the gate early. He said now is a good time to go to the lav., if necessary. We then had 0:27 to go.

The approach was beautiful and as we came across the sea, I could see some wind vanes in the water; I had not seen these before and I've approached and departed over this route before.



It was a beautiful day and you see for miles as we descended.






We landed on the runway that is adjacent to the cargo area at 11:20a, but it took forever to make it to the G concourse at 11:39a, one minute early.

Bristol, England: Houston, TX

15FEB08 Houston, TX

I rang my colleague at 5:05p to find out what time he would be leaving for the airport. He said, meet him downstairs now. We left the building and headed for the wet highway as it continued to rain. It was slow going as we made our way along I-45 to I-10 and then to US59 and then to the HOV lane.

It was quite a saver tonight as we watched traffic crawl on the main roads. We got to the airport in no time and parked at the airport terminal parking. We held the door open for this lady who it seemed was running late. The terminal was quite crowded, but we made it through the security areas without incident. We even saw another colleague at the security area who joined us.

Once inside, we went to the President Club and relaxed or a bit before going to our respective gates. While in the Club, we saw yet another colleague who was heading to Minneapolis.

I walked over to gate C16 where the Boeing 767-400 awaited. The agent told me that unfortunately, the BusinessFirst cabin was full, so I had to take my Economy class seat. Oh well, I thought. He also said that the bulkhead was empty so I could sit there is I wanted. I usually don’t sit at the bulkhead as I can’t stretch out my legs there and on this plane the lavs are right there. Also, oftentimes passengers will cross over at that seat; I hate that.

Off to Bristol, England

I had promised to go see a friend of mine and am getting around to it, so off to Bristol, England (BRS) I go...

Tel Aviv, Israel: A nice note

Customer Care replies

I had blogged about the fact that the flight attendant helped me to get my computer charged on my flight from Tel Aviv to Newark. Well, I had left a note about the experience in a comment box to the CEO on the plane. On 10 Feb., I got the following note:

Dear Mr. ,

Thank you for your letter concerning your flight to Israel from which we were very pleased to learn of your satisfaction with the service you received.

It is letters such as yours that encourage us in our efforts to improve passenger service. A copy of your letter has been forwarded to The Chief Steward so he can personally commend the staff concerned. I was happy that one of the flight attendants found a creative solution so that you could enjoy the flight despite the problem with entertainment system.

Let me take this opportunity to thank you for your continued patronage with us and we look forward to welcoming you on board our future flights.

Yours sincerely,

Customer Care

Montego Bay, Jamaica: Arriving in Houston, TX (IAH)

10FEB08 Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH)

We landed and made our way to the gate at Terminal E after a short taxi. I got my stuff together and joined my travel companion who had already exited the plane.

We chatted as we headed for the Immigration hall. I had envisioned a long line based on our arrival time and sure enough there was one. The Continental flights from Paris and London as well as Amsterdam had arrived and so have other flights from Mexico and Central America.

We walked through the long line and ended up going on another side of the room as there were additional officers there.

We both saw an officer about the same time and I was cleared without any issues. He however was selected for secondary screening. I accompanied him into the secure room as we were escorted by an airport worker. This guy was strange, it was as if he did not want to work.

Anyways, we entered the room and sat down. I commented on how serious everyone looked even the Officers. The seats were very good and although made of hard plastic it pushed forward when you leaned back. Did that mean we would be there for a while?

I looked around and there was about ten or so people in the room. One guy went up to the desk and said something about being later for a flight. I don't think that was a good thing as he was told to sit until called.

It got better when a nun showed up; I wondered what she was in for...? After twenty minutes, it was all over and we left and headed for the baggage room. We both showed our Customs forms and departed for a waiting parking shuttle.

Montego Bay, Jamaica: Montego Bay to Houston, TX

CO863 10FEB08 Donald Sangster International, Montego Bay Jamaica (MBJ) to Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH) 2:18p 4:52p 738 N??280

Flight Time: 3:35

As we boarded this 16-seater First cabin and 141 seats in Economy class airplane, the flight attendant said hello. I said hello back and made my way to my First class window seat. My travel companion took his seat, helping me to put my stuff away.

I started looking around and was thrilled to find two power outlet between our leather seats. Awesome, I thought, now I can continue to charge my computer and get some work done.

Passengers continued to board as we were offered pre-departure drinks; I'm loving this service already.

There were a few last minute upgrades and a little activity at the boarding door. Apparently, the rear thrash can was not emptied so that had to be done before we left. I also heard the flight attendant say something about all the bottled water being taken off the plane, but I did not pay attention.

A flight attendant came by and offered complimentary headsets; in Economy, they are 1 USD, but you can always use your own at no cost. We were also asked what we would like for dinner after takeoff; our choices were a Ruben sandwich or shrimp over rice. We both chose the shrimp over rice.

The doors soon closed and we pushed back as the safety video was played in English. We taxied down to the runway passing an Air Transat A310, as well as a Ryan International Boeing 737 at the gate. There was also a US Airways plane being pushed back as well.

We took to the runway after a short pause and was airborne quickly. It was a beautiful sight as we looked out the window. One could see the coast with all the beautiful hotels, beach and golf courses in the clear afternoon.

We turned right and all that disappeared.

About 35 minutes after takeoff, we passed two islands and I wondered what they were; the Captain came on the PA and announced that Cayman Islands would be on the left in a few minutes. So I assumed that the two islands was Cayman Brac and Little Cayman; a passenger confirmed that this was the case.

"The Nanny Diaries" is the movie for the flight and it started shortly. I've seen parts of it on several flights and just can't bring myself to watch it, so I just read until the meal arrived.

First, we were offered a wet towel, then our drinks of choice arrived with a packet of mixed nuts. The drinks order of choice were taken at the same time as the meal order earlier.

Our lunch order arrived on a tray; it consisted of butter, a salad, salad dressing, shrimp on a bed of rice and vegetables on sauce.

We both ate heartily as the movie continued and we headed north towards Houston. The flight attendant was great about refilling our drinks as well. After the meal, we were offered dessert of a chocolate cheese cake with pecan, plus coffee and/or an after dinner drink.

It was funny as the coffee came when the seatbelt sign was still on :-).

After the service, I was really tired so I fell asleep. I awoke as we started our descnt into Houston. I did see a Customs form on my table so my travel companion must have left it there for me. I filled it out carefully and then relaxed for the landing.

It was nice and bright outside and you could see the lakes around Houston as we descended. It was hard to see where we were coming in, but eventually, we figured out that it was over the Lee Road area. As we descended close to the end of the runway, once could see all the plane spotters just shy of the end of the runway. It was good to see as for a while, this area was closed.

Montego Bay, Jamaica: Leaving Montego Bay

10FEB08 Leaving Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ)

Our ride to the airport promptly arrived at noon and we got to the airport at 12:16p.

We checked in and paid our departure taxes of 41 USD then decided if they had moved the car as yet. We went over to the lot and indeed it was moved. I guess it is not too good to see a banged up car in the car rental parking lot.

We then entered security, well we did immigration first. As it turns out, the same Officer saw us again. I did not even recognize him until he called it to our attention.

This area is new; about a year old the lady said once I cleared security. They have a mega duty free area so we walked around and found something to eat.

As we did so, w saw the Continental Boeing 737-800 with winglets land. It was good to confirm that it was a larger plane so we should have no issues getting a seat today. Looks like they will close gates 1-7 as they are done with the airport development. The new part of the airport is really nice though.

I checked the cost of Internet and it is outrageous, more than the hotel which was 11.95 USD per day. The cost at the airport is:
$15.95 for 1 hour
$22.95 for 1 day
$49.95 for 1 month
Good grief, no, I thought.

We walked around for a bit and then made our way to the gate after leaving the duty free liquor store. While there I heard the cashier tell a customer they can take as much Bailey's as possible to the U.S. which I know is incorrect. Check this page at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/paying_duty.xml to know what are your limits.

We went to the gate and got our tickets and we were fortunate enough to make it to First Class. We went walking again and looked at the FIDs. Most flight were going to the U.S., but there were a few to Canada as well and about three later at night to Italy.

You can see the FIDs at http://www.mbjairport.com/ArrivalDeparture.aspx. Note how they have Los Angeles, CA and Toronto, CA as opposed to Toronto, ON CA...

We decide to board in a few minutes after boarding commenced.

Montego Bay, Jamaica: In Jamaica (a car accident)

09FEB08 Jamaica

O.K. So this blog is about the journey, never the destination, but here is an entry with an exception to that.

On Saturday, we journeyed about two hours over the mountains to St. Elizabeth to see my aunt and grand aunt. We had a good visit experiencing the culture as we did so. Basically eating our way across the island.

It started to pour rain while at my family's place so it delayed our departure. Actually it even altered our departure as the roads from whence we came would have been bad for us to drive.

The going was slow as it continued to rain throughout the mountains. As we neared an area called New Roads, I touched the brakes to slow as I negotiated a left hand corner and the car skidded to the right into oncoming traffic, i.e. a van on the side of the road. Thankfully, all was well and no one was injured. You can see a picture of the damage below. The other gut took a bunch of pictures with his camera and although we had a camera we did not take any pictures or video for some odd reason.

It took a few hours to get it all straightened out (for want of a better expression). Which also involved a visit to the Darliston Police station (the station in charge of that area) to give an account of the accident. It was a very pleasant experience and the Officer was very courteous. Adding that when it rains, there is always an accident at that location. He also said that there is supposed to be a "Slippery When Wet" sign there, but that had not been put up as yet.

Luckily the car was still driveable, despite the fact that everyone stared at us all the way back to the airport. Hey, I would have stared too.

At the airport, though, the car rental company was not nice as they said thy had no more cars to rent (not true as we caught them in a lie) so we were out of luck. They even initially refused to get us transportation to/from our hotel until we finally convinced them that they were still obligated to us under contract and negotiated a ride to the airport that night and back the next day (today).

A note to the car rental company will address this lack of compassion and customer service.

Montego Bay, Jamaica: Donald Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ)

I noticed that there was an American Airlines Airbus 300-600 (AB6) at the gate with the jet way pulled. It had arrived the night before and would make AA's first flight to Miami today.

Our plane was the first one to arrive at the airport. It was strange to see the terminal that void of airplanes. We pulled up to the gate and deplaned.

I noticed that we were walking to a new area of the airport. Since my last time here in Sept. 2006, they had built a new arrival area which was rally nice now.

We cleared that area and then cleared the Customs area and approached the car rental area. We knew we had to wait until 8a (it was now 7:30a) for them to open. As we waited, we saw an agent from another company show up, we asked her about a rate, she said she had one and we took her up on the offer.

By 8a, we had our car and headed for the hotel.

Montego Bay, Jamaica: Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ)

JM074 08FEB08 Los Angeles International, Los Angeles CA (LAX) to Donald Sangster International, Montego Bay Jamaica (MBJ) 10:00p 6:25a+1 320 6Y-JMF

Flight Time: 5:15

As I boarded the greeting flight attendants inspected my boarding pass. I said hello, then I turned right and walked through three rows of 2-2 configured First Class cabin with one empty seat.

There is a divider from the Economy class cabin with its 3-3 blue cloth seats with a red cover that had a humming bird (love bird) on it. There were the usual people trying to get in their seats as we walked down the aisle.

As I walked down, I did notice that the legroom was really tight on this airplane; good thing that we have an empty seat between us. There were also blankets and pillows on select seats throughout the cabin.

We got settled in and soon it was time for pushback at 10:17p. As we did, the manual flight attendant demo started. It took us a little time to get to the runway and soon, we tookoff at 10:32p into the dark night air.

After takeoff, we were welcomed aboard and the crew was introduced by the lead flight attendant. She explained that we should stay in our own cabins and that we would have a light champagne snack service after we leveled out and then 1.5 hours before landing we would have a hot breakfast. She then said to sit back and relax and enjoy the service.

Immigration forms were handed out for those whose final stop was Jamaica followed by headsets. The movie screens then came down from the ceiling. The entertainment for today would be “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium” says the Skywritings inflight magazine.

The inflight snack of a pack of cookies came and was followed by a service of beverages. All drinks were complimentary except fot beer and wine which was 3 USD.
As I was pretty tired, I fell asleep while looking at the movie without using the headsets.

About an hour and a half before landing, we were served breakfast. There was a choice of French toast or a cheese omelet; I opted for the cheese omelet that was served with a sausage, potatoes and a roll. Drinks followed after the meal was served.

I heard the lady in front of us ask for coffee. The flight attendant said that hot beverages are never served when the seatbelt sign is turned on. A strange rule I thought and wondered what happened to cause them to instituted such a rule.

After the meal and drinks were served, they came back with tea and coffee as the seat belt sign was now turned off.



The pilot then came on the PA at 6:27a and welcomed us onboard and said that we should touch down at about 6:48a. He also said that the temp was 78F and next time we come back to Jamaica we should bring a friend.

The flight attendants did an Exit row demo just before landing and ensured that our blankets were stowed away as well as the window shades were up. One passenger was still doing his forms with the tray table down and he had to put it up. The flight attendant was not happy that he was doing that at all.

As we descended, one could still see night lights on the city of Montego Bay. The Caribbean sea water was incredibly clear though.

We touched down as promised and made our way to the gate.

Montego Bay, Jamaica: In Los Angeles, CA (LAX)

08FEB08 Los Angeles International, Los Angeles CA (LAX)

We left the Presidents Club and made our way to the escalators that would take us down to the walkway between Terminal 5 and 6. I knew we had a little walk ahead of us so I was hoping that there was a cart down there and sure enough there was.

I spoke to the guy who was on his cell phone if he could take us. He was still on the phone when we sat on his cart, so I told him that if he can't leave now, we would just walk, so then he started the cart and we left.

At the other side, we made our way upstairs to the terminal. We went over to the gate and waited for an agent to arrive. W saw one and asked if we could check-in at the gate and she said yes, but that she had to go meet the incoming flight. We also saw the crew waiting behind the podium as well.

My travel companion was busy getting the hotel booked as the Internet site was just not having it earlier. Eventually he got that accomplished and we had a room for Saturday-Sunday at the Rose Hall Resort & Country Club. We decided against the All Inclusive as it was too pricey.

We got checked in with seat assignments in a row at the back of the plan at about 9:30p and then we made a quick trip to the Delta Crown Room Club. I showed my credentials and the agent asked me for a ticket. The agent who was training her told her that none is necessary with a Presidents Club card. Another lady before us was asking about gaining entry, but she could not with only a ticket on Air Jamaica. It appears that Air Jamaica does not have a lounge agreement with Delta, but I am not certain.

The Club is quite small and almost all the seats were taken. W eventually walked around and found two seats next to each other. We then had some refreshments before rushing back to the gate. As for Internet access, Delta uses T-Mobile and I had to pay so I did not bother.

At the gate, they had not started boarding as yet, but the crew had gone, so that was a good sign. In a few minutes they did start the process and we boarded when it was our turn.

Montego Bay, Jamaica: Los Angeles International, Los Angeles CA (LAX)

I realized that I left the battery for my camera when I tried to take a picture of a Delta Connection ERJ-145 that was pushing back; this is a bummer as the airport in Montego Bay has some really great landings. :-(. So only movies on this trip, luckily my travel companion has a camera.

Montego Bay, Jamaica: Los Angeles International, Los Angeles CA (LAX)

Los Angeles International, Los Angeles CA (LAX)

It was really a smooth and quiet landing. I could see a Philippines Airlines (PA) Boeing 747-400 as well as a Thia Airways (TG) Boeing 747-400 at the Bradley International terminal. A Boeing 747-400 from Cathay Pacific was being towed into its gate.

We continued our taxi over to terminal 6. I looked over at Terminal 5 to see if the Air Jamaica (JM) flight was there, but it was not. I called Air Jamaica and the automated system said the departure was at 10:15p, so that was a good sign, the arrival time was 6:59a now instead of 6:25a, which is fine since the car rental places don't open up until 8a. The arrival time of the flight from Jamaica was 9:06p.

It was a tow in gate and while we waited the pilot came on the PA and said that he had forgotten to tell us that the airplane was brand new; it arrived last week and that it lands well; he sounded pretty satisfied with its handling.

We waited quite a while to get off the plane; having landed at 7:43p and off the plane at 8:05p.

In the terminal I headed for the Presidents Club and an agent told me that I can walk between Terminal 5 and 6 and another told my traveling companion that it was not possible. We checked and it was possible. So we hang out in the Presidents Club for a bit since the Delta Crown Room uses T-Mobile and charges for the Internet. We still need to book a hotel.

Montego Bay, Jamaica: Houston Intercontinental (IAH) to Los Angeles, CA (LAX)

CO295 08FEB08 Houston-Intercontinental, Houston, TX (IAH) to Los Angeles, CA (LAX) 6:05p 7:57p 73E N??414

Flight Time: 3:08

As I passed through the doorway, I was looking for any indication of the date of manufacture, but all I saw was a serial number as well as a “Boeing 737-924ER” on a plate at the top of the door well. I greeted the flight attendant in the galley who said hello back.

I turned right and walked through the 2-2 configured First Class leather seat clad cabin of twenty seats and then continued on to the main cabin with its 153 3-3 configured cloth seats. There is also a lavatory behind row 5 in the Economy Cabin. I thought the interior would smell new, but it did not, it certainly looked new though.

All the overheads were now full as I was the third of the last seven passengers to board the plane. I had to back up a few times and once passed a roller board bag to the gate agent as passengers tried to find a place for their bags. Three bags had to be checked. As I only had a back, I was able to store it at my feet; thanks Heavens.

Finally I was able to make my way to the back of the plane and take my middle seat. As I settled in, I realized that this seat was a bit comfy; a little like that of the Boeing 757-300 that Continental also flies. Like those, these also have those cute little wings to stop your head from flopping in the aisle or on the passenger next to you; pity passengers don’t use these more often.

I looked around and noticed that there was no squares in the overheads where video screens would be and there were no headset holes nor controls in the armrest. This tells me that entertainment system is not yet installed. I did reach down and feel the electric plugs to the left and right of my seat. I had also noticed them in First class between each seat, one for each seat. I’ll have to check if these were turned on. I am thinking no, since the entertainment system is not on and the controls are usually built into that system. I’ll check later when I have more time I thought.

The doors were closed at 6:07p and an announcement was made to turn off the electronic devices. Since the entertainment system is not installed as yet, the five flight attendants had to give the safety demo manually. This was done as we were pushing back from the gate at 6:10p.

I fell asleep as we taxied out and awoke at 6:33p when we commenced our takeoff roll on runway 15L.

After takeoff, the flight attendant said that there would be a light dinner for the flight; no mention was made about the entertainment system or lack there of.

At 6:50p, the Captain came on the PA and said we were cruising at 32,000’ and that we should touch down at 7:43p and get to the gate shortly after. He also added that the winds were from the West at 10mph under partly cloudy skies and the temperature was 62F.

The flight attendants were busy in the galley getting our meal ready and I saw them go by with a stack of what looks like a burger of some kind. I wonder if it is beef or chicken?

Cheeseburgers arrived at 7:32p accompanied with a salad and Peppercorn dressing and a Milky Way bar. Drinks came shortly after as we were rocking in turbulence. Of course being in the back of the plane I felt the effect even more. The meal was actually quite good and I ate it all, but ½ of the chocolate bar as it was a bit melted. The guy on my right offered me his burger, but I declined as one was already more than I should eat.

The crew came back and cleared all the thrash at about 8:05p. At about the same time, the Captain came on the PA and announced that were flying over El Paso, TX and Juarez, Mexico. It was a crystal clear night and you had an excellent view of the city and its lights below. Myself and the passenger next to me at the window was just saying that we think it was El Paso on our left. Thanks to the pilot for confirming that. He said we had about 1:45 to go. Our flight continued in silence.

Oh, I did try the power outlet and they are indeed not turned on; bummer, the pains of flying a totally new plane.

I fell asleep for a short time and then i heard the Captain say that we were 200 miles out and we will start our descent shortly, so if you have to go now is the time. We then started our descent shortly and landed very smoothly.

Montego Bay, Jamaica: Houston-Intercontinental, Houston, TX (IAH)

Houston-Intercontinental, Houston, TX (IAH)

We got off at Terminal E and had no issues clearing security, except that I have this really metallic pen I got from the hotel in Tel Aviv, Israel that beeped. In order to avoid having to go through secondary screening, I took off my belt as well and was through the second time without a sound.

Next stop was the Presidents Club for a quick snack and some online time. As we walked towards the Club, my computer was freaking out with a loud beeping sound. I forced turned it off and it stopped; I then turned it on again and it came up in Safe mode. Crap, I will have to send it in now; once I get back home, I will have to back it up again and send it in.

I showed my credentials and entered the Club. It was pretty packed as usual and it was quite difficult to find a place to sit. We did find a table, but there were no electrical outlets nearby, sadly. I got some drinks and snacks, did a little time on the computer as it finally came up and then realized that we have to get to E22. I wanted to do a blog entry, but the malfunctioned denied me that opportunity.

As we exited, my traveling companion did an ATM transaction while I continued to the gate to listen for our names. When he caught up with me, I was still waiting. We waited for a bit longer and were both eventually cleared into middle seats close to the back of the airplane. We immediately made our way to the gate agent and boarded. As we walked, I commented that this was a brand new plane as I confirmed that it was aircraft 414, a Boeing 737-900ER with winglets; the second one of its kind in the Continental fleet.

As we made our way down the jet way, we were stopped with about ¾ the way to go as there was a back up. Soon, we got to the aircraft.

Montego Bay, Jamaica: Houston, TX

Houston, TX

I got a call that my ride would be about three minutes late as I was getting ready to leave and meet him downstairs. I continued my actions and ended up arriving downstairs as he was just pulling up. We made our way to the highway and headed for US59 via I-45 North and I-10 West. The traffic c was not too bad, but not knowing what it looked like further up the road and since there were two of us in the car, we took the HOV lane.

This proved useful as there was a bit of traffic once we passed the loop 610. We made our way up the HOV and got off before Beltway 8 as the genius who designed the systems did not think it made sense to exit an HOV lane onto another highway beit US59 or Beltway 8. So sometimes the time you saved by using the HOV is squandered by having to use local roads to get to the airport. I don’t really like Civil Engineers as I do not think they use the systems they build. If one of the designers are reading this, leave a comment please.

Despite the cranky design, we did make it to the airport in good time, parked and took the shuttle bus to Terminal E.

Montego Bay, Jamaica: Preparations

Preparations

This weekend’s journey will take me to Montego Bay, Jamaica after which I will take a three hour drive to a small town called Carisbrook, Jamaica where I grew up to see my 98 year old grand aunt and my 60 something year old aunt. The roads are not fun at all, so if I were in the U.S., the drive would be just about an hour. I also have to keep reminding myself to drive on the right hand side of the street.

Getting to Jamaica at a decent time is not easy from Houston, but I devised a routing that would get me there by 6:25a. But I had to go West first and then East.

After looking at a few different car options, Budget proved to be the best one. I also needed to check a few of the local companies, but never got around to it. In terms of a hotel, we would have to wait to book one once we knew for sure we were going as the cancellation policy is for 24 hours before.

The funky thing is that when you call hotels.com, they say that you can cancel anytime, but they blame the hotels for having 24 hour cancellation policies; I think this is very lame. I looked at several choices and they ranges from 80 USD for a Guest house to 479 USD for a Resort with all you can eat. The Caribbean is so expensive; what a rip I thought.

London Feb. 1: Arriving in Houston, TX (IAH)

04FEB08 ouston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH)

As promised, we touched down at 4:35p and taxied to the runway; it was not bumpy though. I could see Air France’s Boeing 777-200 leaving and heading for the runway. All the other airlines (Aeromexico, KLM, and Lufthansa), had already left.

We continued our taxi over to gate E4, so I guess that this airplane is going back to London as CO4 at 6:35p. What a workhorse!

I got off the plane after putting my stuff together and headed for the Immigration area. There were lots of other people around, some from Paris and others from Central America. It was unusual to see the citizens and residents lines longer than the visitors’ line, but this was the case. They took a slew of passengers over on another side in order to alleviate the congestion. It worked!

The Immigration Officer I saw asked me if I bought anything while I was away. I told him, “No,” as it is much cheaper at the local stores since our dollar is so depressed in value. I then made my way down to the Customs area, gave the Officer my form and left.

I repacked my stuff as no need for the jack now since the weather is now 74F. This also made it all easier to carry. I then made my way over Terminal C using the underground train. I had called Metro and checked and the bus was due at about 5:30p. I had just missed one at 5:13p, it was now 5:17p.

At Terminal C, I went straight to the bus stop and waited. I am actually able to get a WiFi signal at the bus stop, so I was working until the bus showed up at 5:30p.

London Feb. 1: CO5 04FEB08 London to Houston

CO5 04FEB08 London-Gatwick, London England (LGW) to Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH) 12:00 4:35p 777 N78005

Flying Time: 10:11

I boarded the aircraft after what seemed like forever after leaving the desk. I think gate 47 is the last gate on the planet…

As I was walking down, I did notice that it was aircraft “005,” which means no Audio/Video on Demand.

I got settled in and was offered an arrival drink as well as given an amenity kit and a menu shortly after. Newspapers were also offered and I chose the Wall Street Journal Europe and the Daily Mirror; I need to be balanced J. The same flight attendant also came back and took my jacket.

At 11:39a, the Captain welcomed us on board and said that he expected to leave early today as everyone was onboard and all the cargo doors are shut; this was good news. At 11:42a, the main cabin door was closed. Our departure time came and went and we were still at the gate.

At 12:02p, the Captain came on the PA and apologized saying that the London Operations were talking with the Houston Operations and we will leave soon. He did not sound too pleased. At 12:07p, we pushed back and the safety demo started in English soon after.

We taxied out and join our position on the tarmac for departure. We passed an XL Airways Boeing 737-800 with winglets plus a Nationwide Boeing 767-300 parked nxt to it. There was also a an easyJet A319 landing.

There was an easyJet Airbus A319 and a British Airways Boeing 777-200 ahead of us as well as a flybe. Embraer ERJ-190. Behind us was another British Airways Boeing 777-200 and a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-300 which was actually at the gate next to us in the terminal.

It was our time soon and we took to the clear and sunny morning skies.





I had a fantastic view of the airport below as we made a hard right hand turn after takeoff. You could see the airport in all its glory below us.

The lead flight attendant gave us a welcome message and said that the movies would start in a bit. There was also a video on how to use the system playing as well.

At 1:50p the First Officer came on and welcomed us on board; we were at 32,000’ our intermittent cruising altitude. He reiterated 10:11 flying time and that the winds were 7-10 miles per and 72F; when we arrive the temp would be 78F and the winds at 15-20 mph when we arrive there may be light rain showers when we arrive we should touch down at 4:35p if all goes well.

I wanted to watch “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” and noticed that “Dan in Real Life” was playing on that channel instead. I asked the flight attendant about it when she came by offering beverage and nuts (cashews). She came back and showed me the busted tape. Apparently, the player was not working properly and subsequently it had eaten the tape which she showed me. I was already watching “Bone Dry” in the mean time.

The entertainment choices for the day were:

1. Dan in Real Life/The Office
2. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead/Cash Cab
3. Bone Dry/NASCAR Angels
4. The Drama Channel
5. Continental Presents HBO: Big Love, Da Ali G Show, Deadwood
6. Scenes in the Park
7. Love in the Afternoon/Premier Destinations
8. Continental Presents Independent Films: Paradise, Texas
9. Continental Presents House
10. Elizabeth: The Golden Age/Tales from the Palaces
11. Continental Family Channel 2: Secondhand Lions/The Jetsons, Foghorn Leghorn's Fractured Funnies
12. Martian Child/Global Trends
13. Sydney White/The Simpsons
14. Continental Presents CSI
15. Comedy Programming: The New Adventures of Old Christine, Malcolm in th Middle, Everybody Hates Chris, Everybody loves Raymond, Th King of Queens, Shaun the Sheep
16. Th Entertainment Channel
17. Airshow
    

Plus ten games (chess, poker, solitaire, invasion, elephant memory, bzzz, blackjack, cave crunch, caveman and hang man) fifteen music channels.

At 2:14a, the lead flight attendant came on and said that they were having trouble with the tape and "Dan in Real Life" will b on channel 2 and the original Channel 2 movie will not be shown.

Next were three appetizers; a demitasse of potato and truffle soup accompanied by a savory
vegetable and mushroom filled pastry and peanut marinated chicken breast skewer with coriander sauce. This was very tasty!

The vegetable salad with vinaigrette dressing followed and then the main course of halibut and shrimp over rice and spinach. It was not as good as I expected and I am guessing that the reason for this may be that there was just too much butter in the sauce and there was just too much sauce as well. This is a rarity as this meal choice is usually quite good.

After that was cleared away, I had crackers and cheddar plus some fruits (pineapple, cantaloupe and grapes) with choices of after dinner drinks which I declined.

It was now time for dessert, so I had vanilla ice cream with thinly sliced nuts, strawberry and two cherries. I was so full, so it was time to get to sleep, although I was falling asleep during the service anyways. A bottled of water was placed in my seat and it was now time to lower the shades and recline the seat (it reclines to 170 degrees).

I awoke when we were passing across the southern tip of Greenland; it was a really beautiful day so you could see the terrain. There were lots of mountains, but all covered with snow. One could also see a few glaciers, plus a few lakes. I even saw a runway with a little settlement next to it. It was a quiet and peaceful sight.

I fell asleep and awoke when we were just crossing into the U.S. over Cleveland, OH. I really needed to use the lavatory at this point. I then came back and did some work on the computer and some reading as well. I did not feel like looking at any more entertainment options. I saw a passenger watching a movie on what looked like a Zune I think.

With 1:29 to go, we were served an arrival snack of a fruit plate, a chocolate, smoked salmon and a sandwich pate and a glass of water. It was all very good and really hit the spot after this long flight.

With twenty five minutes to touchdown, the Captain came on the A and said our descent would be bumpy and we could expect touchdown at 4:35p; temperature is 74F, winds are at 25miles from south and we were 175 miles from the field. I got the computers powered down and prepared for landing. One of the flight attendants also brought back my jacket.

London Feb. 1: Leaving London-Gatwick, London, England (LGW)

04FEB08 London-Gatwick, London England (LGW)

I arrived in Gatwick at about 10:15a. I disembarked and made my way to the North Terminal where I checked in. I got a seat in BusinessFirst, so I was given a FastTrack sticker as well as an invitation to the Emirates Lounge.

I cleared security with ease as most of the flights had already gone for the day, so the airport is less of a zoo…I checked out the bookstore for a bit and then went to the Lounge. I got to working and forgot about breakfast. By the time I got there, they were clearing it away. The lady said they would have lunch out shortly, but that won’t help me as I’m leaving in a few minutes. They did have some cold stuff so I had some chicken, salmon, some fruits and a slice of brown bread. I was kind of mad at myself as I had skipped breakfast so I could enjoy the one at the lounge; oh well…

I was having issued with first connecting to the wireless and also connecting to the office network which was a bit sketchy. So a few of the things I had planned on doing, were not done at all.

Boarding of the flight was announced, so I left at about 11:15a. This gate is at the farthest end of the airport and took forever to get to. Once there, I showed my documents and boarded, picking up some magazines as I did so. There is a good one worth reading called WTF, no, it is not what you think it means. It means “What’s the Future.” Always makes for a good read.

London Feb. 1: London, England

04FEB 08 London, England

I got up a little later than I had planned at 8:30a maybe as I fell asleep and was not able to set an alarm last night. The god thing is that I’m well rested having gotten seven hours worth of sleep.

I got my stuff together and headed out, catching a train to Victoria station and arriving at 9:42a. The next Gatwick Express train to Gatwick was at 9:45a. I also noticed that the next Southern train was at 9:47a so I rushed over to my secret kiosk, quickly bought my ticket for 10.90 GBP after waiting for the persons who were there before me. I ran to platform 18 after putting my ticket in the machine (I actually put the receipt in first) and boarded the train via the First Class cabin. A minute later, the door closed behind me and we were on our way.

The train pulled out promptly at 9:47a and would make two stops before Gatwick Airport. I relaxed for a bit as I watched Air New Zealand’s Boeing 747-400 descending into Heathrow airport; it was arriving from Los Angeles, CA (LAX). This is the same airplane that came from Auckland, New Zealand (AKL) to Los Angeles, CA (LAX) and will do the return trip as well. I wonder how many passengers go to the U.K. via that route? I then got my computer out and started to work on a project that I needed to finish up.

On this train they kept announcing that the train would split at a particular station, so you should ensure that you are in the right car. They even had it on a LCD that is in each of the cards. The handrails in the cars are also color coded. I say this as the conductor came through the train and asked for tickets. The guy across from me that also got on in Victoria needed to be in cars 1-4 and did not move from our car, car 7 until the conductor told him to do so. I guess people don’t listen.