Have you ever had a flight where you had more fun than you should be allowed to have on your own (in a totally non-perverted way, for the record)? I think that’s the only way to describe this flight for me…
Continue reading: Review: TAM First Class 777-300ER Sao Paulo to New York
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Here are the official definitions of turbulence, from the American Meteorological Society's Glossary of Meteorology (second edition):
Light: Causes slight, erratic changes in altitude and/or attitude, and rhythmic bumpiness as occupants feel a slight strain against seat belts.
Moderate: Similar to light, but of greater intensity, with rapid bumps or jolts, and occupants feel a slight strain against seat belts.
Severe: Turbulence that causes large, abrupt changes in altitude and attitude, and large variations in airspeed, with the aircraft temporarily out of control. Occupants are forced violently against their seat belts and objects are tossed about, with food service and walking impossible.
Extreme: The aircraft is tossed about so violently that it is practically impossible to control, and structural damage may occur.
http://www.amazon.com/Glossary-Meteorology-Second-Edition-Glickman/dp/1878220349
With as UGLY as that business cabin is, F looked great. Glad you enjoyed yourself.
Note to TAM - replace those seat covers.
You're leaving us hanging with how the two middle seats can be doubled as a bed eh?
In your selfie you look like you're holding your champagne "flute" as a microphone and singing into it...love it.
"TAM has the smallest first class of any airline I know, with just four seats in a single row."
How about China Southern A330 and Transaero? You always marvel at the latter but you didn't mention it here. Did you mean "one of the smallest first class [cabins] of any airlines I know"? (Speaking of the word "cabins", well...
As far as I asked for a comparison of KE A380 and 777-300ER, maybe you can do a comparison between KE 777-300ER and JJ 777-300ER as well, we'll enjoy it. However it may not be as practical, as they don't fly the same routes out of GRU.
Where the heck is that second line going in the photo of the route map while inflight (the line that appears to be going over Africa)?
"...there’s a lot of pressure on you when you’re the only first class passenger"
You poor dear 😉
Sounds like fun. I'm just curious about why there are so many empty seats. No folks getting upgraded?
Hey, you don't need to explain to anyone why you're having 2 bottles of champagne in flight. It's a 9 hour flight, and as long as you're not going to drive yourself home, have fun.
That F cabin looks a lot like the F cabin on AF's 777-200 service BOS-CDG. At least, that's what they fly off-peak when I was on it in February. I think it's a 747 during the busy season. F on the AF 772 was the same thing - 1 row of 4 seats, the 2 middle ones together, and it looked like a living room. I wasn't in there - I was in row 3, the bulkhead row of J, but it looked nice. On the way out, there was 1 pax, and on the return, a couple traveling together who took the middle seats. Everyone looked like they had a nice time.
Air France only has 4 First Class seats on their 777-200ERs.
"yeah, I’m that cool — I’m making up for last time"
You mean "lost" time, right? 🙂
Anyways, enjoyed the report!
Binge drinking can be as much of a problem as alcoholism.
Downing a bottle of champagne alone is not normal behavior. The fact that you feel compelled to be defensive about it shows you recognize it's a problem.
@SCL - Was waiting for the sermon...never fails! Always someone who knows what is best for everyone eles...
Glad you enjoyed the Drapier and your trip Lucky.
@ hsw25 -- Fixed, thanks. Yes, Air France has equally small cabins, but don't know of any airlines with smaller ones.
Nice report! TAM First Class looks great, though I can't agree on the design of the glassware. To me the Champagne flute looks like a flower vase and since it's not transparent you're not able to admire the beautiful bubble formations of your precious liquid.
@ Hong Kong Airline News -- Sorry, perhaps I could have worded it differently. My point was TAM has the smallest first class cabin, meaning there's not an airline with a smaller first class cabin. There are, as you mention, airlines with a similarly small cabin, though.
@ ekartash -- They do offer it to award passengers, the only issue is that I tried to reserve it within 24 hours, and unfortunately 24 hours notice is needed. So I couldn't get it in the end.
That bib was probably because they knew how much champagne you had — and were worried you wouldn't be able to get the food to your mouth!
In all seriousness, though, I've been there. On a 2.5 hour flight from BOS to MPS, I was sitting up front on Delta. No meal because of the time of day, so I was engrossed in my work. The very attentive F flight attendant made sure my glass never went dry. So, when I got up to use the restroom toward the end of the flight, the FA asked me if I wanted to finish the bottle. Being an accommodating type, I said sure, and then she (in a not-at-all-insulting way) asked if I was going to be able to get off the plane OK. I must have looked confused because she told me I was solely responsible for drinking that entire bottle of red wine. Whoops! It was a great flight, though.
In your dessert photo, the one on the plate is in fact pudim de leite in Portuguese, or caramel custard in English: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cr%C3%A8me_caramel
Were you unable to reserve a private car for when you left JFK? I thought this was a perk of TAM First.
@ Brazilflyer -- Whoops, thanks. Stupidly I only tried to reserve a car the night before departure, which was too late, since they need 24 hours notice. But otherwise should be possible.
I also know of the sacrifices one must make to finish 2 bottles of Champagne in flight. SYD-BKK I was the only one in the new first class on the 747. One bottle of Dom another of Veuve Clicquot Rose.
Its a tough life but it must be done and we appreciate your sacrifice.
Folks, a bottle of wine is 4 glasses. "2 bottles" sounds like a lot, but it really isn't, especially not when you're in a big metal tube for 9+ hours.
Besides, Lucky doesn't have problems to drink away yet - he hasn't moved full time into hotels yet.
The line to Africa from GRU appears to be a segment from the equator/prime meridian: (0.000,0.000). (I suspect it was actually from 0 to GRU).
awesome report, Lucky. as a fellow champagne fiend, i applaud you. keep up the awesome work.
now that stopovers over 24 hrs are gone using AA miles, what would be the longest segment to enjoy TAM F on?
Is this the last TR in the pre-hotel living era? If so, you finished with a bang! Nice report! Great funny anecdotes. First time I've observed you post a pic of yourself here. The man behind the curtain... 😉
Is this the last TR in the pre-hotel living era? If so, you finished with a bang! Nice report! Great funny anecdotes.
First time I've observed you post a pic of yourself here. The man behind the curtain... 😉
@ pavel -- Theoretically to Europe, but I don't think they release much space there. You can still do GRU-JFK-YVR same day, though. 😀
I'm really looking forward to the TAM food bib give away on your blog sometime in the future. SWAG.
The camera angle and the lighting worked in your favour. You look rather sexy.
At least you weren't flying into the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport Capital of Silicon Valley etc. Every time I go there they make the name longer.
Does TAM still have stunning FAs? They were known in Brazil for only hiring stunning women to work as flight attendants on their planes. That and an amazing service really put them ahead of the competition in Brazil. Not sure now that they joined One World they may follow AA and have legacy FA that are begging to retire and only fly to keep their benefits.
@ Santastico -- There were some attractive flight attendants, though wouldn't describe the crew as a whole "stunning."
TAM F looks nice (unlike their J). The write-up was funny. One of the reasons I like this blog so much is because of the writing 🙂
And now we now where a photo here ( http://flyanddine.boardingarea.com/flydine-interview-giveaway-one-mile-at-a-time/) came from! It actually is a nice photo although before I read this report I wasn't unclear exactly what Lucky was holding.
@ Lucky -- is there a reason you don't post a link on your blog whenever you are interviewed elsewhere? I don't think it'd be a big deal if you did 😀
@ Jens - I think Ben's going to find he has a few more stalkers on his tail, and they won't just be after his jeans only this time round. 😉
@Ed: Anyone can drink as much as they like; it's no sweat off my... liver. Ew. Anyway... you're right: two bottles over nine hours isn't a lot. That's less than a drink per hour. However, you need to pay a bit more attention to the math.
Ben conked out for "a few hours" and woke up over three hours out of JFK. Conservatively, that leaves about three hours to consume two bottles. And he didn't start in on his champer rations until breakfast, and presumably Ben didn't doze off with glass in hand. So it's really two bottles over two hours or so, the first of which was downed during the estimated forty-five minutes of breakfast.
Again, not my liver or potential hangover = don't really care. But put into context, that's NOT "not a lot."
"wouldn’t describe the crew as a whole stunning” - someone will be fired/demoted again b/s of this post.
No you can't have the bottle for security purposes, but you can have this nice razor that's in your kit.
@ dan ray -- For which flight? TAM? If so, it's because they don't display TAM award space on the American website.
Wow!! I didn't expect TAM's First Class to be quite amazing!! However, Sao Paolo Airport looks very crowded and small, reminds me the days of Kai Tak Airport of Hong Kong!!! Thanks for another wonderful blog.
PS. Thanks for the selfie!! I are one good looking man!! =).
The meals are very consistent with Brazilian eating habits. I often hear Americans and Europeans saying that premium meals on Brazilian carriers are too light. They just don't eat like we do. But alas, the drinking is another story. 🙂 It would not surprise anyone that a 23 year old would down a bottle of anything by himself. Or a 16 year old for that matter. It's very done in Brazil.
The one row of First is also really interesting because I flew in First on Varig's MD-11 in the early 2000s and it was also this strangely small cabin, and I was also the only passenger up there for a long domestic flight from Sao Paulo to Recife. I sort of felt forgotten though. TAM is doing better.
What is with all the people lecturing on the champagne?! When an FA is constantly refilling your glass, it is easy to go through a lot. Get down off your high horses and have a drink, it might make you mellow out.
Rant over. I have always been curious about TAM. Their business class looks pretty bad but the first class seems quite competitive. They are not an airline that pops up on my radar very often, but I may just be curious to give them a try now. Great report Ben.
You certainly do read the Talmud to know how to get millions of miles from nothing ^^