Just back from a fantastic three-centre holiday in the USA. Some observations (and a few photos) .... apologies for length!

Sat 02 September
CO37 Edinburgh-Newark NYC (B757-200 - with wing tip jobs!)

Arrived at EDI by taxi shortly after 6am, and surprised to find CO check-in hadn't yet opened, despite the airline's website urging three-hours prior for all UK-USA flights. Check-in eventually sprung to life after a brief wait, the queue snaking back into International arrivals hall. Mega security in place, including an in-queue grilling as to your final destination etc. and the obligatory reminder not to take liquids, gels and deodorants aboard. One small item of hand baggage was, however, permitted. The EDI security staff (at check-in, the scanners and the gate) were exceedingly good-humoured throughout, which really did help to relieve the tension. Chatted to some fellow travellers in the check-in queue. One Scots couple were off to Hawaii (direct flights immediately please, BAA ), but the majority of passengers seemed to be US citizens. Was expecting the queue at security to take forever but pleasantly surprised to be processed in a little over five minutes.

Before boarding, went for a coffee at PAULS. Note to management: floor area around the serving counter and tables was an absolute mucky disgrace, looking as though a mop hadn't touched it in weeks. Must do better!

Boarded our 757 on-time at Gate 2, with further security checks (and removing of shoes) at the Gate area. Leg room was adequate in my economy seat, and seats were reasonably comfortable. A full flight in economy, and about two-thirds full in the Business First Cabin. In-flight meals were above average quality, but in-flight entertainment pretty poor. No individual screens, just overhead screens situated every 3 rows. A poor offering of Ice Age, Vegas Vacation (appropriate, but pants) and the obligatory Infomercials/CNN/Hollywood News items which nobody ever watches. Despite only three lavs in economy, the loo-queues and associated aisle blocking were not a big problem at all - in fact they were kept to a minimum. Note to the widebody freaks: the 757 is perfectly fine!

Very bumpy (and tilty) descent into Newark (the area was just catching the tail end of Huricane Ernesto). Arrived half an hour ahead of schedule. Our 757 dropped onto the runway like a sack of spuds, causing much vibration and half the passengers to gasp in a mix of terror and relief!

Processed very quickly through immigration - arrived at the same time as the Shannon flight but the queue moved quickly. At this was our first port of entry into the US we had to reclaim our bags and go through customs. The wait for bags seemed interminably long, but we were eventually reunited with our suitcases and proceeded through customs. Once through, our bags were quickly re-checked and we boarded the inter-terminal monorail "Air Tran" (EARL take note!) for our transfer from Terminal C to Terminal A.

Sat 02 September
CO1180 (should have been 1172!) Newark NYC-Boston (B737-500)

Wet and windy weather seemed to be causing havoc with many flights and our scheduled connection to Boston (flight 1172) was cancelled, though no reason was given. A grumpy American in our midst was demanding to know of the CO gate staff whether two light flights were simply being consolidated for economic reasons (is that allowed in the USA?). Nonetheless we were all put onto the flight an hour later ( flight 1180). Flight to Boston was brief (38 minutes) but bumpy all the way - the Captain instructed the cabin crew to remain seated for the whole flight so there was no "beverage service" on this leg.

Very unimpressed with the domestic baggage reclaim area at Boston-Logan (very small and worse than EDI's pre-1999). Naturally our bags were the last off!

Wed 06 September
Jet Blue Flight 1255 Boston-Washington IAD (EMB-190)

Much better impressions of BOS on our departing flight. Nice modern terminal, good choice of food and drink, adequate shopping. Boarded our brand new Embraer 190 (great little aeroplane, Scotairways why not buy some?) - flight about three-quarters full. Seating was 2 x 2 configuration, and Jet Blue had allowed us to pick our seats online at time of booking, which I thought was pretty cool.

I can't praise this airline highly enough, and wish we had something similar in the UK. The cabin crew were friendly and fun, and the Captain even emerged from the cockpit and stood in front of us to do the pre-flight "greeting". This flight was notable in that both pilots were female - a first for me! A few men were exchanging nervous glances (!) but you couldn't have hoped for a more professional flight crew. Nice quick flight from BOS to IAD, with complimentary snack and beverage served on board. Also available (though not used by me) were 36 channels of live, quality entertainment, each seat having its own seat-back screen. Free headsets were available at the boarding gate for anyone wishing to avail themselves of the TV service.

Arrived into IAD on time. The airport is very uninspiring (lots of dull concrete pillars everywhere). They are currently installing an inter-terminal monorail system to replace the bizarre "mobile lounge" vehicles which we used to transfer from the pier to baggage reclaim:

http://www.metwashairports.com/dulles/abou...y/mobile_lounge


Unidentified aircraft (safety card too remote to view!) on approach to Washington National Airport (DCA), passing behind the Jefferson Memorial.


Eastern Air Lines at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC.

Sat 09 September
America West/US Airways flight HP173 Washington Reagan DCA-Phoenix (A319)

When I originally booked our Washington to Las Vegas flight it has been a direct flight from Reagan National to McCarran International with America West. However, some months prior to travel I was informed that my flight has been switched to "via Phoenix" - I assume because the direct flight was no longer offered?

Early morning check-in (0530) for our flight to Phoenix. To all intents and purposes America West no longer exists and the check-in staff uniforms and boarding passes etc. all indicated a US Airways flight. Used the self-service check-in - very efficient. Reagan airport much smaller than Dulles but nice wide open spaces, high ceilings and good choice of food and shopping (though not much open at that hour!). Flight had exactly 109 passengers on board (I overheard one of the cabin crew!). The A319 was comfortable and modern (it was even painted in the new US Airways livery, but don't ask me for the reg). Soft drinks all complimentary but like CO, $5 required if you want something more agreeable. In flight movie was Mission Impossible III (overhead screens again). Arrived into Phoenix just before the heavens opened.

Sat 09 September
America West/US Airways flight HP80 Phoenix-Las Vegas (A319)

My brief encounter with Phoenix Sky Harbor was quite favourable. Nice, modern airport with lots of long corridors with travelators which no doubt would give EDI's new 'facility' a run for its money!

This time our A319 was painted with an America West livery, but again was billed as a US Airways flight. Flight totally full with some pax on stand-by. Due to weather we pushed back from gate 30 mins late, and then were delayed another 30 minutes on the taxiway as the captain waited for the thunder storms to pass. In fact, the whole airport was briefly closed to traffic and the captain of our A319 shut down the engines ("to save some gas") as we sat idle on the taxiway. Eventually, after half an hour of listening to the rain beating off the roof of the aircraft the engines sprung into life and we taxiied to the runway for take-off.

My first time arriving at the (superior) domestic terminal at LAS. My previous two times had been with VS into the bleak Terminal 2 (International). Termianl 1 is a much nicer affair with a lot more going on. Naturally there were slot machines at every spare area! Baggage reclaim was also refreshingly quick, despite the size of the airport and volume of passengers.

More to follow ...

Great report, glad you had a good trip!

You say you were processed very quickly at US immigration - I was quite surprised to hear this given the horror stories you hear nowadays. I'm going to NY in March, but it will be the first time I've been to the US since 9/11 so I'm kind of expecting immigration queues, especially as I'm flying into JFK (flying FI GLA-KEF-JFK with a stopover in Iceland on the way back.)

Yes, the short queues at EWR immigration were a surprise for me, but I guess the majority of passengers on the EDI flight (and perhaps a good deal of the other CO European flights arriving around about the same time) were predominantly American. I didn't see any other airlines at this terminal, just CO. Also, I think the 757s help in keeping the queue volumes down!

I've been through JFK a few times and the queues for immigration can be horrendous, especially when you get a succession of 747s/777s just arriving from London/other European hubs. EWR seemed like a much more pleasant experience to me than JFK, though perhaps I was just very lucky on that occasion!

Main changes you'll encounter in a post 9/11 arrival at US immigration is the fingerprint scanning and the photograph. Other than that they haven't introduced too many other burdens, though while in the States I happened to catch a news item on CNN talking about possible Homeland Security changes which might see the end of the visa waiver programme. I hope to God they don't go down that road, as tourism and business between the EU and US would really suffer if they made every Brit wanting to go to the States apply for a visa.

Hope you enjoy your trip to NY next year, Ian, and thanks for the comments.

Callum

I think I arrive at 19:15, so this may be a bit aftere the mid-afternoon peak.



That would be absolute lunacy on thier part. Although there would obviously be major economic impacts for us, I think such moves would hurt the US just as much. I really wonder in the long-term if people would start to look away from doing business with them and look to competitor nations such as China. The political ramifications would certainly be huge as well - you can hardly argue a "special relationship" with the US if the country basically presumes that all your citizens are criminals/terroists and demands they prove this is not the case before being allowed entry.

From a tourism standpoint it'd certainly wreck thier tourism industry - there's certainly no way I'd be travelling to the US embassy to beg for a visa just to go on holiday and I think most other people would be the same. It's so easy to go so many other places now that people would just go somewhere else - could be the making of the Canadian tourism industry though - Disneyland Calgary anyone? I guess if they simplified the process (i.e. postal applications where you send off a completed form + passport + fee, like a few countries already do) they might get away with it. Florida would be absolutely devastated - Given that it appears to be such an important political "swing state", even this might be a barrier to this kind of legislation being passed by the current administration?

I wonder if we would start demanding visas from Americans? I doubt it somehow, but I'm sure the French would have a field day - 50 page form and a 2 hour interview for all Americans wanting to enter France

Great stuff Callum.

Thanks for a very interesting report, Calum; you did a lot of flights on that holiday.



My thoughts entirely. When I went to Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria in 1987 I had also hoped to visit Seattle. My application for a Visa for the USA, which was required at that time, truthfully mentioned my spell in east Berlin in 1972 and was refused on that basis. The covering letter explained that if I wished to appeal against this decision I could make an appointment for an interview at the American embassy. I didn't see why I should take a day off work and incur travel costs just to beg the USA to let me go and spend my money in their country so never followed it up so to this day I have never visited the USA.

Sure did ... I'm looking forward to a well-earned break from flying! .... well, I was, until my boss told me today I might be needed in Cardiff next week

same, I'll be having my first flight in ages next Thursday, down and back to Luton.

great reports by the way, they don't call you Callumity Johnstone for nothing.

THEY? I thought it was just you that called him that?

I believe it was deejay who first coined the name, but I must remember to have words with our Bill about his predilection for using it too ... that, and his apparent belief that the SNP has a coherent new policy on public transport