A RTW study tour, mostly on Star Alliance

[RooFlyer]

I stayed the weekend in Manchester to visit an old Uni friend before flying out to FRA and then onto Washington on LH's B747-800 . Stayed the final night at the Radisson at Manchester Airport due to early start - not a patch on Radissons in Scandinavia (perhaps not that surprising). Restaurant was hideously expensive, even before the FX! Avoid this one.

View attachment 97039

One mitigating factor in staying here is that its connected by a long ... very long (photo shows only a fraction) above ground tunnel to terminal 1, so easy to get to. Terminal 1 at MAN - avoid it if you can! First, check in reminds me of LHR before any redevelopment (old, cramped and grotty). Then, you go through the usual execrable UK security checks # (OK, not MAN's fault I suppose) - then ... I've never been in an airport with so many stairs where every one and their carry-ons etc have to walk ... before immigration, after it, after duty free ... all over the place!

# My carry on selected for additional screening. "You seem to have a lot of wires in there sir. Any reason?" Actually, I was carrying fewer gadgets than normal - just some USB type leads and a portable HDD .. plus my laptop. So they pulled everything out, swabbed and poked most of it. I hope they wrote down the reason why I had so many wires ... for next time. :evil:





Geez ... the duty free. Puts SYD and MEL to shame the way they stuff so many shops in and make you take such a circuitous course to the departure gates. The walking areas are really narrow, and therefore crowded and unpleasant. I really took a dislike t this airport.

No Star Alliance lounge, which is a major downer for an airport of this size, but I did manage to use the 'Aspire' Lounge. Stupid long queue to get in; endless tapping on monitor screen for every pax. Ever heard of scanning? Its a large lounge and OK on the face of it, and a full open bar at 7:30am




Breakfast food choices absolutely coughpy. The highlight for most were dry buns with bacon in them. Yuk (the dry bun bit, not the bacon!) ... but walked off the table every time they came out. I made do with a couple of unappetising Danish pastries and some liquids (horrible coffee) ... but not the sort these lads were tucking into!! Now, I don't mind a beer, but one each and a spare at 7:30am? Wi-Fi was too weak to even bring up a web page on my phone.




Went to the gate for my LH flight to Frankfurt, and this is where I really got peeved off at the airport. So much space devoted to shops, and when you get to the gate, this is the space you are given. People at the gates beyond us had to squeeze past everyone, because there was about 2m of space to congregate. Manchester airport now firmly on my AVOID list. A shocker.

 

[RooFlyer]

A short hop across to Frankfurt to pick up the flight to Washington. Standard 'Eurobusiness', and I was glad to see the back, or rather the roofs, of Manchester Airport.




At least the brekkie was nice again and made up for the Lounge non-effort. An ad from the LH magazine (yes, juvenile, sorry )




Coming into FRA I got a brief shock. If the airport is over THERE, what are we doing over HERE and isn't that building awfully close? :shock: ( I'd forgotten about the runway out to the NW).




Last arrival I was lucky to arrive and depart from the same area. Not so this time. A full 25 minutes fast walk, travelator and train to get from arrival in area B to departure lounge in area Z, including almost deserted security area. Ludicrous. The LH business lounge near gate Z50 was crowded (again). I pine for the days when I was duper-duper Elite on Air Canada and I got to use the Senator lounges (sigh).




Lunchtime, and this was the best I could do; at 12:15 no soup yet available. Not long afterwards I realised it was another hike to my gate and boarding was imminent, so off I shot, getting first look at my B747-800

 

[RooFlyer]

For those looking for a good look at the 747-800, I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint. I didn't really have that much of a look round.

The departure gate was a bit of a shambles - not LH's fault I guess, but there was a scrum, then the 'First/business' scanners failed so we had to be manually checked in for about 5 pax (@ 1 min each) while they re-booted (or something) with the scanners, and we got going again. Boarded 30 mins late, for no obvious reason - the plane was at the gate for a while.

Entry for F and J is through door L1 and I was in the downstairs cabin. Seats look exactly like the A380 J cabin - but they are not. First and foremost the seat cushioning, which I loved on the A380 reverts to normal seat cushioning, and no-where as comfortable. Its a permanent thing, not just this seat, as there were no 'firmness' controls. Very disappointing. Couple of other small things - the screen doesn't slide across, for instance. Amazingly, no USB charging port.




Good legroom, although the cubby is a bit narrow for putting feet sideways at full stretch. Upstairs - I wanted to go up and sneak a look, but when I did, a FA said, very pleasantly "We only like the upstairs passengers to use the upstairs", so I was left with this look.




The FAs on tis flight were only just - and far, far below in proficiency from those on the SIN-FRA flight. I was only addressed by name once, after the FA had a long peer at the list; meal and drink services were very slow and drawn out etc etc. For instance - pre departure drinks orders were taken 2 at a time - go to galley, make 2 drinks, bring them out, then next 2 people etc etc. Choices were German sparkling, juice or water ("as we can't open the customs boxes until in the air"). Menus being handed out at the same time as the safety video shows - hardly an encouragement to take nay notice of it. All in all not the end of the world, but you do notice it once you have seen a really good crew in action.

The First door curtain comes across the J side of the galley, which makes sense. I never did find out what was available under 'GSM". I used the Wi-Fi again and this time it was very slow. LH carry 'Vinotec' wines - "specials" not on the menu. This was the one on our flight, so I tried it. Knew nothing about the variety... the nose was of old leather boots (seriously) and the wine itself was undrinkable, for my palate. there are very few wines that I won't at least finish for the sake of giving it at try, and breathing a bit - but this remained horrid and I exchanged it for a red from Vienna.




Menus; again, going across to Dulles (IAD), Washington, so only 8 or so hours, departing just after lunch time. I wonder if the 'hot' in 'Red White Hot Cold' was something lost in translation? Or maybe they had stored the vinotec wine next to the ovens?

 

[RooFlyer]

The meals were OK - but that's all (apologies if I'm grumbling a bit - but this flight was such a let-down after SIN-FRA!). Shaved black angus beef to start, and then veal - it was tough as old boots, as was the asparagus!





But here's the highlight of the whole flight - Crème Brule ice-cream, with mango!! Total yum. On the right is the minestrone pre arrival snack.




Just the flight path to round out the set. getting ready for what was a very weird and unexpected arrival process (but normal for IAD).

 

[Buzzard]

Even though there may be some failings, +1 and I still want to fly on the 747-8

 

[TomVexille]

Even though there may be some failings, +1 and I still want to fly on the 747-8

So do I...




In F

 

[RooFlyer]

No problems with the aircraft (except maybe that its just a 'normal' seat) ... mainly 'soft product' issues and still not terrible.

 

[RooFlyer]

We arrived at Washington Dulles on time. When taxing, the purser gave a strange announcement. Transiting pax should get into one 'mobile lounge' and those staying in Washington into another.

Mobile lounge??

This bizarre contraption (LHS not my pic). You get off the plane, walk a short distance and then get on board it and then they drove you to a different building and there you went to immigration. I suppose some-one thought it was a good idea at some stage, but to me its bizarre. And guess what? pax start sitting near the entrance first, so they could get off first (as I did). With their often bulky hand luggage; so later pax struggled to get past to sit in the back. And then came a wheelchair passenger ...



After that, the IAD experience was great. Straight into ESTA non queue to a kiosk, then to next guy, straight through, then to baggage where my bad was waiting, and straight out through customs.

I had booked a 'super shuttle' to my hotel in Crystal City in Arlington. US$30 which is decent value, EXCEPT in this case, all 8 pax were in Arlington or downtown, except one. She was in the 'burbs, away from the freeways, so we went for a tour of Washington suburbs, and the journey to my hotel took a little under 2 hours. :evil:

Hilton Garden Inn at Washington National Airport, Arlington. Very standard, but OK price. Lousy restaurant.




Some initial sights nearby. The LH pic was NOT typical of the area, I hasten to add!!

 

[Boca68]

I had booked a 'super shuttle' to my hotel in Crystal City in Arlington. US$30 which is decent value, EXCEPT in this case, all 8 pax were in Arlington or downtown, except one.


Some initial sights nearby. The LH pic was NOT typical of the area, I hasten to add!!

View attachment 97140

Ufff! I learnt from never to book a shuttle in the USA. Price, for sure, just don't expect convenience.

And errr...?

Crystal City obviously caught your attention because of your work, right? Being crystal.... and not being anything else...


(cue : get your rocks off at Crystal City RF)

But, as you said, not the usual ....

 

[drron]

We love Legal Seafoods.

 

[RooFlyer]

Ufff! I learnt from never to book a shuttle in the USA. Price, for sure, just don't expect convenience.

And errr...?

Crystal City obviously caught your attention because of your work, right? Being crystal.... and not being anything else...

(cue : get your rocks off at Crystal City RF)

But, as you said, not the usual ....

Really? I have lived a sheltered life . Chose Crystal City due to the close proximity to Reagan National Airport, where I had an early next flight .

 

[RooFlyer]

Main reason for stopping over at Washington was to visit the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum 'Annex' at Chantilly, near Dulles. It had just opened last time I was here and I wanted to see what they had now. I recall last time the Smithsonian in the Mall ran a shuttle out to Chantilly, but that has apparently stopped, so it was 2 metro rides and a bus, over an hour, to get out there.

Entry views; the famous Blackbird on the right, with the Space Shuttle Discovery way out behind it.



Clockwise from top left: Republic F105D Thunderchief; Boeing-Vertol Sea Knight; Vought F4U Corsair; North American F100 Super Sabre.



Grunman F14D Tomcat; Lockheed T33 Shooting Star; McDonnell F4S Phantom II; Bell UH Iroquois.




Space Shuttle Discovery. 39 missions, 240 million km, 241 crew.




An Air France Concord.

 

[RooFlyer]

Just a couple more ... there are vastly more planes on display of course, including WW1, WW2 etc.

Again, clockwise from top right: Boeing 367 'Dash 80", precursor to B707. I think my first flight was in a B707 ... Hobart-xLaunceston-Melbourne ; Beechcraft King Air; Northrop P61-C 'Black Widow';Boeing 307 Stratoliner;




Ooops, 2 repeats; Boeing B29 Super Fortress the Enola Gay, dropper of the first Atomic bomb x 2

 

[RooFlyer]

RooFlyer's "How well do you know Washington DC touristy bits" quiz.

Part 1. Can you identify these buildings/landmarks? Please leave it for a day to give others time to think (and for me to reach back to Oz from MIA today )

A-B


C-D


E-F


G-H


I-J

 

[RooFlyer]

Part 2

K (former and current use)-L


M-N


O-P


Q-R



S-T

 

[RooFlyer]

I wa smaking my way along the back of the White House when the guards got a bit skittish and started waving us (public) away from the road, which was inside some barriers. Ah! Dignitary exiting! As it happens, the VP. First a phalanx of motor cycles, then a bunch of police cars, then several identical large cars with the VP emblem on the side, then a bunch of black suburbans and trailing, a couple of troop carriers. Quite the performance.




Obligatory pass past the White House, and noise-makers du jour in attendance.




I was on my way to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, to my mind, the greatest museum in the world - and I've seen most of the biggies! The collections are just outstanding in quality and extent. If I have a temple, this is it.

I mean, what other museum would juxtapose the Hope Diamond and a sandstone concretion?




On to the minerals display. Going through it reminded me of one of the reasons I did geology. When you look at these minerals, just think (and wonder) "How did that form?"

The first one is a Tasmanian favourite, almost unique in the world (crocoite).

 

[RooFlyer]

This was my highlight. the rock on the right is about 1/2m across. Its a type of granite - solidified at depth as a magma chamber cooled. How do you reckon the circular (in 3D) features formed?



How did the thing on the right form?








On the left, an aquamarine; on the right a non natural thing -carved ball of quartz.

 

[JohnM]

We arrived at Washington Dulles on time. When taxing, the purser gave a strange announcement. Transiting pax should get into one 'mobile lounge' and those staying in Washington into another.

Mobile lounge??

This bizarre contraption (LHS not my pic). You get off the plane, walk a short distance and then get on board it and then they drove you to a different building and there you went to immigration. I suppose some-one thought it was a good idea at some stage, but to me its bizarre.

They still have those things? I remember encountering them in 1995 and thinking they were bizarre then.

 

[RooFlyer]

Last stop of the day was Arlington National Cemetery. A moving place.




I caught the 'changing of the guard' ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which I thought a bit contrived. Lots of going back and forth, with flourishes of the bayoneted rifles.




JFK grave, along with Jackie and two of their young children, including a stillborn. Unfortunately (in my mind) there has evolved a habit of throwing coins onto the grave. Although this is apparently an ancient custom, to see bunches of kids chucking loose change was jarring. In front of the graves is a granite plaza with some of JFK's important quotes engraved on it.




By the time I got back to the hotel I had walked about 15km; my doc would be pleased .

The next day, I had a bit of time before my flight, so I went back to the Mall and visited the original Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Absolutely over-run by school kids - the main purpose of this one is education. And got to touch a moon rock again . O ld favourites, the Wright Brothers Flier etc.

 

[RooFlyer]

Back on the Metro (a great way to get around) and the hotel to get a quick shuttle to Reagan National Airport (DCA) where I would catch a short AA flight to JFK and then connect to my AA flight to Bermuda.. Never been to DCA before, and thinking that the security and crowds would be horrible, I arrived 2 hrs before departure.

Couldn't be more wrong. At mid day crowds were minimal and I got through security in minutes. Its a lovely little airport (words that I never thought I'd associate with a US capital city airport!!)




The Admirals Club was fairly cushy and had the usual bar facilities. I did well with Premium drink chits, but the free food offerings were typically cough.




View of the taxi apron and my lunch.