We took the AirTrain to Federal Circle, which is where the Holiday Inn Express bus picks up from. It was a rather chilly evening, at least after returning from Manila, and we didn't have any warm clothes. Fortunately the bus was there, so we made it to the Holiday Inn Express only about ten minutes…
Continue reading: OneWorld Asian Adventure, Part Eleven: Stay at Holiday Inn Express JFK and JFK-MIA-TPA on American
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
The blue carts that blow smoke are diesel powered compressors ("huffers") for starting engines when the onboard equipment (probably bleed from the APU or electric motors, not familiar with the AA 767 engine option) is inop.
Darn, mark beat me too it. I think they generally can use those to get one engine going and then do a cross-bleed start using the bleed air off the one engine to get the other going.
This has to be done when there is no APU running onboard. Sometimes because it is in-op or other times just because they haven't felt like using it and have been using conditioned air provided by the ground.
(NOTE: I am no ramper so I could be wrong. I only listen to Ch.9 when I fly, and live-atc around the clock, and used to spend many a weekend as a kid in the north terminal at Sea-Tac watching planes with my dad. Oh and I did stay in a Holiday Inn last night. j/k)
I'm not sure that AA's 767-200s are really their "flagship" product. I guess they occasionally call it that because those are the planes that do LAX-JFK and SFO-JFK flights.
But they certainly offer a nicer domestic first class product.
First of all, if you're lucky you can find yourself on a 777 on LAX-MIA flights. That's basically an international product. Full horizontal lie-flats in first, nice new lie-flats (kind of diagonal lie-flat seating) in business, with built in on-demand video. Probably the nicest domestic plane I've ever been on, even if it is an international product that just flies one or two domestic routes on its way somewhere else.
More commonly, AA offers a very nice 767-300 on a bunch of routes (my favorite is LAX-BOS, especially with the current triple miles offer). It's got the same diagonal lie-flat seats as the 777, and though it doesn't have a built in personal video screen, flight attendants pass everyone a video player with BOSE headphones. Very cool. Also, it's a super comfortable seat.
On a last note, I actually like the 767-200. Lots of business seating, which means it's often an easy upgrade, and those seats are pretty roomy. It's something that American can call a first class product while keeping a straight face, something I'd challenge them to do with that ultra-crappy 757. As a huge American fan, I feel bad that you had a bad FA experience on that flight... I tend to get much better service on dinner flights, and on morning flights where the crew is fresh. Furthermore, I know it's a bit obnoxious, but on a flight where I feel ignored by the FA, if I want something I won't hesitate to hit the call button. If they're sitting in the galley chatting, I don't feel bad hitting the button to ask for a drink.
Haha i agree! any prizes for reading all 11 parts! 😀 great report though. i enjoyed reading it very much and can't wait for your next trip. I'll be flying in May as well!
> Any prizes for WRITING all 11 parts?
Oh you poor thing, it must have been so traumatic for your little fingers sitting in Cathay Pacific first class sipping your pre-departure champagne writing all 11 parts. How do you do it???!!!! 😉
This last part seems like such an anti-climax.
I noticed that there were two beds in your rooms at HI JFK and IC HK but only one huge one in the suites in Manila. I am not trying to pry but did you share with your Dad or did you use a separate cot or sofabed? Either way, would you not have been more comfortable in say, an executive level room which has two beds since you said you didn't make extensive use of the suite?
The 767-200 does serve as the basis for the Domestic Flagship Service between JFK-LAX and a few JFK-SFO flights, though JFK-SFO does feature a few 767-300's which have the NGBC as the 1st class cabin. Has anyone here flown both? I'm going on SFO-JFK and have the miles to burn for 3 cabin 1st on the 762s but I wonder if the 763 2 cabin first (NGBC) is in fact superior to the 762 1st cabin?
"Out of curiosity we tried using our JAL boarding passes again, and this time the agent admitted us without asking any questions. It just comes to show you that United’s Red Carpet Club agents aren’t the only clueless ones."
Good to know that the stupidity of the people manning the lounges is a good way to get in...