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Skyteam from Philly to Rome and Back first time: A330 A340

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  • Skyteam from Philly to Rome and Back first time: A330 A340

    March 19, 2004
    Delta Opperated by Air France Flt. DL8379

    Equipment: Airbus A330-200
    Buisiness Class seat 4A
    Depart: 5:10 pm Eastern Standard Time (On Time)
    Arrival: 5:45 am Central European TIme (half-an-hour early)

    So I tried the tricks that other had suggested and arrived at Philladelphia International looking like I deserved to be traveling in Buisiness class. Of course it also helped that I joined Frequence plus a week or so earlier. As I talked to the Delta agent I wasable to get the upgrade that I so desperatly needed. As I walked through Terminal E in Philly I noticed a Northwest DC-9-50 in the new Northwest colors. Talk about a beauty! I was very excited as this was the first time that I had travelled on Air France. I had heard several stories about their in flight service that made Air France look like an awesome carrier.

    Boarding was surprisingly quick as the flight was full, I was amazed with how spacious the A330 series is as this was the first time that I had flown on this type. (I almost always fly Delta Domstically and Internationally) I sat down in my window seat and watched out the window as two Delta 732s took off for New York and Cincinatti. As we rolled down the taxi way the nose camera was turnedon so that we could see where we were going. As we rolled down the runway and took off I was amazed at the seemingly high rate of climb as gravity was pulling me into my seat. We were right on time taking off. As we leveled off at 35000 feet The lights in the cabin came back on and the flight attendents came around for drink orders. Now I am not 21 but as far as I was concerned we were over international waters.

    Dinner was very good for what I am used to on a long flight (Delta) I had the beef stew with the salmon salad and chocolate filled crepes. I then settled in for my choice of 7 feture presentation movies. The IFE system that airfrance provides is one of the better that I have experienced. Every film started every 20 mins. Much better than what I remember on the Delta 772. that I rode last time I went to Europe. I decided to settle in and Watch the Last Samuri. About half way through my ADD got the best of me and I stopped the movie and went over to the games section of the IFE system. Air France has 10 different games from chess to blackjack and slots. they were pretty entertaining and easy to pick up. After a while of this I decided to watch a movie that I had never heard of before, The Four Feathers. This was a spectacular movie. Then before I knew it it was time for breakfast. fruit filled crepes with yogurt and granolla.

    I have to say for my firs A330 flight I have so say that they are very gracefull birds. From the smooth take off to the unbelievable landing the A330 ranks as one of the smoothest aircraft types that I have ever flown.

    Now it was into Paris CDG, the airport notirious for strikes!

    Luckily this was not the case for me. I arrived in terminal 2 hall C and made it through customs in under 15 minutes. Now it was on to hall F for my next leg.

    March 20, 2004
    Delta Opperated by Air France Flt. DL8500
    Equipment: Airbus A319
    Coach Class seat 22A
    Depart: 8:55 am Central European Time
    Arrival: 10:30 (half-an-hour early)

    As I sat down outside of Gate F-25 I looked around for the rest of my family who I was supposed to meet in Paris (They flew out of Atlanta on a Delta 772 departing around the same time as me). Then boarding began and still no family. So I boarded the plane and took my seat . I have never seen a plane configured like this one. It was all coach except that the first class seats up front had a a fabric arm rest that takes of the middle seat in each row so that each row as 2-2 seating instead of 3-3. I was geting ready to fall asleep I heard the words "We are happy to announce that we will be serving a light breakfast on this flight to Rome." Three meals on two flghts! Wow talk about something that I was not used to from US carriers. Another breakfast was great even though it was alot less compared to international buisiness class. One croissant one danish and some yogurt. None the less It was a meal. Our flight was again alot quicker than expected and I was awoken by an especially hard landing into Rome. As we were taken to a remote stand outside of terminal B I was excited to have that one moment where I could look around the tarmack and Was amazed at the sight of one of Alitalias 772s waiting at a nearby gate. Thus my Roman spring break began.

    March 27, 2004
    Delta and Alitalia opperated by Air France Flt. DL8497

    Equipment: Airbus A230
    Coach Class Seat 14C
    Depart: 7:00 am Central European Time
    Arrival: 9:45 am Central European Time ( 35 minutes late)

    As I wandered into terminal B in Rome I was amazed by the seemingly different Airport. The Check-in area looks and feels totally different than the Arrivals are. It reminded me of a true European International Airport. As I checked in I was not aware of the "fun" day that I was in for. Leaving out of Rome was a mess. I got through fine, but the check-in counter gave the rest of my family the wriong tickets. They had take their Rome to Paris tickets and kept them and stapled their Paris to Atlanta tickets to their Rome boarding passes! Then once we boarded and pushed back from the gate this wonderful announcement came over the PA " We regret to inform you that due to a strike we are not able to offer you our normal ful services." Public transportation unions in Rome had decided to go on strike the day before and I guess that this oncluded the ground crew in Rome. We had a mix-n-match of breakfast meals left over from a just arrived Delta flight and another just aririved Alitalia flight. needless to say that they had a little more substance to them then the Air France meals would. After a 35 min ground delay (some of the ATC controllers were on strike) we were off! After we landed in Paris I realized that I had 30 mins to get to our gate, run off the plane and go from hall F to hall E and oh yeah, there was customs. Needless to say I made the flight.

    March 27, 2004
    Delta Opperated by Air France Flt: DL8608

    Equipment: Airbus A340-300
    Buisiness Class seat 10A
    Depart: 11:10 am Central European Time (2 hours late)
    Arrival: 2:25 pm Eastern Standard Time (1 hour late)

    Well I boarded the plane and sat down and awaited for that feeling of being pushed back (as I was the last one on) but that feeling never came. Everyone kept looking around to try and figure out why we were not leaveing, but no one seemed to have any idea what was going on (including the Flight Attendants) Then came the anouncement 45 min later "Ladies and Gentlemen we appoligise for the delay but we seem to have a problem with one of the coach class lavatories." Well at least I knew what it was. Then the captain announced about 30 minutes later that the problem was fixed and that we would be on our way in just a min. One hour and fifteen minutes late, I might be able to sprint to my connection. So we began to roll towards our assigned runway untill suddenly we stopped. "Ladies and gentlemen we have just recieved an Air-conditioning fault notice from the computer so we need to take about 30 minutes to stop and test the system to figure out the problem. At least we did not have to go back to the gate this time. The maintenance people came to us. It turned out that one of the filter was long over due for a change and had clogged up the airconditioning vent for the left side of the aircraft. SO 30 mins later we began the grand tour of CDG as our runway was on the other side of the complex, and we finnally took off. Now this was also my fist flight on an A340 so I was surprised with again how gracefully it took off. I forget who said this in another forum, but I think that the A340-300 has to be one of the if not the quietest aircraft I have ever flown on. Then after watching Somethings Gotta Give, Master and Commander, and Lost In Translation and one episode of The Love Boat, we came in for a landing. As we got to the gate I knew that there was no way that I could make my flight back to Philadelphia. I had 25 mins to de-plane, Go through US customes, and Immigration, and check in for my flight as I was not able to in Europe. Well I missed my flight as was promptly rebooked to depart 4 hours later.

    March 27, 2004
    Delta Flight: DL1686

    Equipment: Boeing 737-200
    First Class seat 1A
    Depart: 7:35 pm Eastern Standard Time
    Arrival: 9:10 pm Eastern Standard Time

    After arriving in CVG I decided to walk around as I had 4 hours to kill. I noticed when I walked down terminal A that Delta had given up 4 of it's gate so that NWA could move in (A9-A12 I think!?) this was nice to see as there was a CRJ pulling out in the new NWA colors. I then walked by my gate and noticed that my flight was a NWA codeshare flight. As I collapsed into a seat at A5 I look to my left and there was a mother and baby sitting next to me when the baby looks at me and pukes down my shirt and tie! What a great capper to this day! Anyways to make a long story short after making the trip to terminal B and the PGA shop I boarded the plane with a new shirt on and ready to pass out. Next thing that I know I am at the gate in Philly home at last (24 hours later)

    Chris Yetter
    O'Hare - The Aviation God's greatest creation, or their greatest mistake? you be the judge!
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