Text 23492, 81 rader
Skriven 2012-04-09 15:15:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: feb trip report 520
===========================
Lilli had arrived from yet another fancy trip around the known
universe, and we hooked up at the checkin kiosk where we found to
our dismay that our carefully chosen seats (some of the best on
the 777) had been switched for places in different rows. The agent
said that there was nothing to be done, things could be fixed only
at the gate, so that was what we planned. Security back downstairs
was pretty swift, despite the obstacles of a couple handicapped
persons in wheelchairs and a large multigenerational Indian family
that just didn't seem to have it together. A quick train ride to
the C7 club, where we had a breakfast of bananas, juice, and
muffins. (she may have had red wine, I am not sure) before going
to the gate, where chaos reigned. Turns out our plane had
swapped out for a new configuration one, which is considered a
bonanza in the frequent flyer world but causes many complications,
as the seat nomenclature and arrangement are different. In the
old setting, there are 10 to 12 first and 45 to 49 business
seats; in the new, only 8 first class and 40 business beds,
which means 48 people get beds as opposed to 12 beds and 49
exceedingly comfy seats, which means 13 people potentially go
unhappy. We didn't go unhappy, but we got separated.

0205 UA 846 IAD SFO 0824 1120 777 9CD was 9D 10A was 9DE

I really like row 9 on the state-of-the-art-of-1995 triple 7s:
there's all the room you'd want, and the seats, as I intimated
before, are very nice. But the ante has been upped, and they
are tearing these cabins up and installing slightly uncomfortable
beds in place of these "barcaloungers," as youngsters who have
never been in a real barcalounger call them. Anyhow, to make up
for having to have 6 feet between rows in the new configuration,
they squish 8 passengers in the cabin width formerly occupied by
7, which in this day and age of wide butts means that the new
designs come premolded with bottom space, but the model arses are
way bigger than mine, which means that if I sit in the chair I
end up low and forward and my back hurts, and if I change the
apparatus to a bed, it's much more comfy, but I can't work (120V
outlets at every place), watch TV (15" screens at every place),
or carry on a conversation.

But you take what you can get, and anyhow these problems are
distinctly first-world. When we booked, we got 9DE; when they
changed planes, they could have given us the equivalent seats,
which are labeled 9CD, but instead, they made their assignments
in some arcane way that broke us into 9D and 10A, as there's no
E in the new numbering system, so I got pushed back. After a
short negotiation, Lilli managed a trade of my 10A seat for 9C,
so we ended up being able to chat through the flight after all
(Lilli got kind of bored with me and started playing Angry Birds
about halfway through anyhow).

We were a little late out of the blocks and then a little late
in landing, having done some shenanigans over the Pacific having
to do with sequencing and traffic. I was a little apprehensive
about our 36 minute connection down the line, and as we hustled
toward our new gate, we passed the earlier flight, which was just
finishing loading up, so I got us on it in some ugly seats. Oh,
why go Washington-San Fran-L.A.? For 500 extra miles and because
for unknown reasons they run smaller aircraft on the Washington-
L.A. nonstop, which means more more delays and fewer upgrades.

UA 867 SFO LAX 1135 1308 752 30BD
was
UA 297 SFO LAX 1230 1402 320 3AB

It looks weird on the face of it to trade first class on a 320
with a sort of meal and all the booze one can choke down for
economy minus on a bigger plane and no service at all, but it's
only an hour flight, and if we missed our Hawaiian connection
there wouldn't have been anything open until the next day.

This leg was rendered more acceptable by two factors: the guy
in 30C was amenable for the equal-seat switch with Lilli in 30D;
plus as a super-duper frequent flyer I get 10 drink coupons for
just such occasions. Courvoisier for me, red ink for her, and
next thing we knew, we were at yet another club swilling down
cheap hooch (which is free; better stuff is available but at
prices that meet or exceed those at the bars outside).

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