Text 3914, 96 rader
Skriven 2010-11-17 10:33:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: trip 752
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Toward the end of the flight, there was a weird electrical
smell. I didn't worry until the purser, up to now calm and
professional, started looking frazzled; then one of the
pilots came back ... everyone appeared a bit anxious. I
figured, what can I do? and went back to sleep. Perhaps I
squeezed Lilli's hand a bit too hard in anticipation of a
premature demise, perhaps not.

The smell became fainter but had not fully dissipated on
landing. We later heard that the plane had gone mechanical
for its next flight.

This time we landed amidst a block of flights, so Lilli won
by far on the Global Entry vs. normal race.

We regrouped at the international club. Hess Select Cabernet
was the free house wine. It was welcome.

I walked Lilli to her gate (way down at the end of the
domestic pier) and repaired to the domestic club for another
glass and some e-mail before catching my redeye.

UA 198 SFO IAD 2236 0649 752 9A

My upgrade had done the permanent "pending" thing, and I was
too cheap or lazy to call UA from Ireland to get it fixed:
so of course I ended up not getting it.

On the whole, the crew were fine, the pax not so.

tttt, 9A, which I essentially used to own on UA in the '90s,
isn't such a bad seat, except that this night 9B, a late
and nonstatus addition to the flight, didn't want to part
with his bag, whining to the FAs about how he needed his
stuff and to nobody in particular about how owing to slights
real or imagined he was never going to fly United again. And
he was tallish and all elbows and during naptime kept
thrashing about and hitting my arm, waking me several times.

The guy in 8F apparently tried to keep his duffel with him
for landing, which got him a gentle rebuke. What's with this
being unable to let one's bag out of one's grip for even
the shortest time?

I think we landed early.

I visited the customer service desk to get my next boarding
pass (an actual change in plans, not just tacking something
on for more miles); this was quickly accomplished. I was next
to 8F asking for his boarding pass for San Fran: definitely a
mileage runner. He asked about an upgrade and was told rather
nicely that he was already in first.

I trotted off to the A pier to see if Fuddruckers was open
(you can order a burger rare there, and it'll come medium
or less, which is points over Five Guys). It was, and I had
a slightly less than fresh rare burger.

Red Carpet Ale at the D club. It wasn't bad, sort of
Killianish, only maybe not so red. It tasted almost
nonalcoholic, though. It was free; the next time I was at
the club, it wasn't, having graduated from the house
pour to the two-coupon premium brand.

UA 424 IAD BOS 1227 1406 752 2A

Interesting thing heard on channel 9: "Expect ILS approach runway
22 left, runway 27 closed due to birdstrike." They reopened the
runway as we made our approach, and we landed on 27.

Got a corner room at the Crowne Plaza Danvers (formerly
Sheraton Ferncroft resort) - it didn't seem to have been
inhabited recently but other than a disused smell seemed
fine. I wonder about how the occupancy has been - except
for Coco Key season and the Topsfield Fair, there's no
reason to stay here, and it's mighty out of the way.

Some decent but plain places to eat nearby - went to the
Texas Roadhouse about a mile off; the early-bird 6-oz
sirloin with two sides was a deal for $8; any saving was
eaten up by extra beer.

US2145 BOS LGA 0730 0845 E90 3F

This contrived to be an hour late, thanks to late arriving
crew. People were given the opportunity to get on the 0800,
on a bigger nicer aircraft, and in the scrum someone
managed to tread on my big toe - this didn't seem like a
big deal, but it began to swell and hurt a lot a couple days
later. I was rewarded for my patience by getting an empty
seat next to me. We landed 15 minutes behind the 0800.


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