Trip report: BMI/UA, MAN-ORD-PHX

Greetings!

BMI, MAN-ORD:

I arrived in Manchester an hour or so before check-in opened, but the queue
was already long enough to be interfering with other airlines. Luckily,
someone from BMI walked up and down to make sure everyone was in the right
place.

I was pulled out of the line for random screening. The staff were polite
and chatty, and I managed to skip the rest of the queue by being let into
the front. A member of the security staff waited with me, to make sure I
didn't sneak anything into my checked baggage. I was checked-in for my on-
going flight too, which made me very happy.

This was my first non-BA flight, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I've
always considered BA's customer service to be excellent, and BMI's was on a
par, though the FAs didn't smile nearly as much.

When I found my seat and sat down, I noticed a few changes. On BA, I was
never given a lunch menu, and I'd never had so many movies and TV shows to
choose from, nor any video games at all. I also liked the aircraft nose
camera, which was fun to watch.

Unfortunately, though, I had to watch the camera on my neighbour's screen.
Even before we started taxiing, I was frustrated as hell trying to get my
screen to respond to my poking. When I finally got some video, it was
badly washed out, and I couldn't adjust any colour or contrast. When we
were up in the air and the movies started, the volume controls didn't
respond, and I couldn't hear it at all. An FA tried rebooting the system,
and told me she'd move me to another seat if she could, but I was without
movies for the flight. Incidentally, the headphones were an odd ear-clip
design which looked really uncomfortable, and I didn't have an adapter to
use my own headphones.

Drinks were served before take-off and several times during the flight.
I'd requested the vegeterian lunch, and it was good. Along with all the
snacks too, I couldn't eat it all. And unlike BA, we had icecream!

The only 'interesting' part of the flight was when my neighbour across the
aisle started huffing and moaning about the passenger in front of him
laying her seat back. He called for an FA, then told her to tell the
passenger to raise her seat. The FA apologised to him, but explained that
it's a function of the seat that passengers are allowed to use, and he
should lay his own seat back if he wants more room. He refused. Then
later in the flight, he called again for an FA. A different one arrived
this time; she agreed with his request, and asked the woman to raise her
seat.

Personally, my ideal seat would be against a bulkhead, with no-one behind
me. I'm not at all bothered if someone in front takes their seat back, but
I don't want to lay my own down and have the guy behind me bitch and moan.
One of my worst flights was having some kid kick me until I asked the
parents to stop him, after which he jammed his feet into the gap between my
seat and my neighbour's, and rested them on my armrest.

CHICAGO O'HA

We landed about 10 minutes early, and I jumped off the plane as soon as I
could. I'd left myself only 90 minutes to the connection (in my defence,
Expedia told me I'd be just fine), and I wanted to run.

I got off the plane relatively quickly, but the immigration line was
already hell. I've used PHX's immigration twice, and it's always been
orderly with several staff watching over. In Chicago, it was a free-for-
all. People were running, jumping over barriers, screaming and shouting.
If anyone wants to try running past the line into baggage claim, then
please let me know how well you get on. I didn't see any staff to stop
you.

All in all, I was in that queue for 70 minutes. The immigration officer
didn't ask nearly as many questions about my visit as the officer (both
times, I got the same one) in Phoenix, and I was let through quickly. It
took only a few minutes to get my baggage and the long, long queue through
Customs and Dept. of Agriculture moved quickly.

The baggage reclaim was a rushed confusion of people and noises. I
couldn't see what the people in front of me where doing, and when it got to
my turn, I didn't know whether the staff needed to see any papers. As it
was, they picked my baggage off me, scanned a barcode, and I was bustled
along with the crowd.

The ATS to T1 was very cool. I only had to wait a minute or so, and it was
crowded, but not too full. The security screening to get into T1 was
confusing -- myself and several people followed a bad sign and ended up in
a dead end of tape barriers. The staff were polite, but rushed.

I made it to my departure gate 4 minutes before boarding. I was /lucky/.
I do not recommend a connection of less than 2 hours.

UA, ORD-PHX:

This was my first US domestic flight, so I was a bit nervous; whenever I
visit, it takes me a day or so to adjust to the accent, and to slow my own
speech down so they can understand me.

The atmosphere on that flight was amazingly different to the UK domestic
flights I've taken. The staff were a lot more informal and chatty, and the
passengers were /quiet/. I'm used to yelling and people running down the
aisle, but these people were barely talking to each other. I'm grateful
too, because I couldn't figure out where my headphones were supposed to
plug in, and I missed the movie.

The FAs were friendly, and drinks and snacks were served. I think there
was a cold meal, but I didn't want it, so I don't remember.

The return flights took the same route, and weren't especially different.
The most surprising thing was that on my return to the UK, the immigration
staff seemed to simply check I had /a/ passport, rather than looking at the
details. But then I guess they have trained eyes and know what to look
for.

At some point in the return flight, my baggage was opened and checked by
the TSA. Yep, I found a form explaining the situation. Nothing was
missing, which was a surprise to me because the bag had been only 3/4
zipped and a multi-coloured strap (I use to spot the bag) was hanging onto
the handle and trailing behind. The only damage inside was a rolled-up
poster; I put it into the bag diagonally because it wouldn't fit
horizontally, but some enterprising TSA agent found a way to make it fit.

All things considered, I'm not sure whether to go back to BA or not for my
next trip. I like BA's convenience of a direct flight to Phoenix, and
their staff are a lot friendlier. But BMI and UA are significantly
cheaper, and their staff do the job just as well -- they just don't seem to
enjoy it. Whatever I decide, I'm never doing another 90-minute connection.


With thanks to Traveller, who nudged me back in August to write this.

--
Jon Eccleston :: http://jon-eccleston.net

"This is the light of my soul;
A sacred territory in which no-one may intrude!"

Jon Eccleston wrote:
Incidentally, the headphones were an odd ear-clip design which looked
really uncomfortable, and I didn't have an adapter to use my own
headphones.

Actually I find those more comfortable than the over-the-top-of-the-head
variety; it's worth giving them a try next time. You can barely feel that
they're on.

With thanks to Traveller, who nudged me back in August to write this.

And thanks for writing it.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
Site remodeled 10-Sept-2003: Hundreds of new photos, easier navigation.

Jon Eccleston wrote:

The most surprising thing was that on my return to the UK, the immigration
staff seemed to simply check I had /a/ passport, rather than looking at the
details.

Hmmm.

But then I guess they have trained eyes and know what to look
for.

Don't you believe it. They may want you to think that, but it's all a
big Public Relations con-game.

On the one hand, they claim that their highly-trained operatives employ
highly-sophisticated psychological profiles, etc., to identify
smugglers, 'terrorists', persons seeking to enter illegally (e.g., false
Beatles fans), and so forth. But on the other hand, the fact that they
harass thousands of completely innocent passengers every day makes one
doubt how effective their 'scientific techniques' really are.
Furthermore, even Customs admits that they are interdicting an
astonishingly low percentage of contraband.

They are seeking to have it both ways. They would have us think they are
very very good ('Don't try anything; we have our secret methods and
you'll be caught!') while at the same time they clamour for more powers,
a bigger budget, etc., to stem the flood of illegal people and stuff.

How stupid do they think we are?

(On second thought--don't answer that question!)

cheers,

Henry

"Jon Eccleston" wrote in message
. ..
Greetings!

BMI, MAN-ORD:

I arrived in Manchester an hour or so before check-in opened, but the
queue
was already long enough to be interfering with other airlines. Luckily,
someone from BMI walked up and down to make sure everyone was in the right
place.

I was pulled out of the line for random screening. The staff were polite
and chatty, and I managed to skip the rest of the queue by being let into
the front. A member of the security staff waited with me, to make sure I
didn't sneak anything into my checked baggage. I was checked-in for my
on-
going flight too, which made me very happy.

This was my first non-BA flight, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I've
always considered BA's customer service to be excellent, and BMI's was on
a
par, though the FAs didn't smile nearly as much.

When I found my seat and sat down, I noticed a few changes. On BA, I was
never given a lunch menu, and I'd never had so many movies and TV shows to
choose from, nor any video games at all. I also liked the aircraft nose
camera, which was fun to watch.

BA used to do menus but were withdrawn (2001 I think) as a cost saving. Now
you have the problem of the FA asking "beer or chicken" then having to
explain to everyone exactly *what* beef or chicken it was.

Haven't seen the nose camera on UA, but the air-traffic channel on audio is
fun (expect if you hear "Arrrghhh.... we a re going to die!"


An FA tried rebooting the system,
and told me she'd move me to another seat if she could, but I was without
movies for the flight.

You should have asked for some compensation for that. On a recent BA flight
the guy next to me got to pick something from the duty free cart (up to £50
I think). He came away with a bottle of campagne which more than compensated
for a a crappy movie.

I'd requested the vegeterian lunch, and it was good. Along with all the
snacks too, I couldn't eat it all. And unlike BA, we had icecream!

Used to get chocices on BA

Personally, my ideal seat would be against a bulkhead, with no-one behind
me. I'm not at all bothered if someone in front takes their seat back,
but
I don't want to lay my own down and have the guy behind me bitch and moan.

It's always a balancing act this. I hate people who put their seat back
immediately as I like to have dinner and watch a movie upright then switch
to the radio channels, lie back and try for some alcohol induced sleep.

Kicking kids should be locked away in the hold.

Mind you, had a really great flight sat next to an 8 yr old. Was worried at
first thinking he would be a brat, but he turned into the most polite and
well behaved kid you have ever met.

All things considered, I'm not sure whether to go back to BA or not for my
next trip. I like BA's convenience of a direct flight to Phoenix, and
their staff are a lot friendlier. But BMI and UA are significantly
cheaper, and their staff do the job just as well -- they just don't seem
to
enjoy it. Whatever I decide, I'm never doing another 90-minute
connection.

Was recently bumped off a BA flight onto a UA one (my first time
transatlantic on non-BA) and was pretty impressed. Seats seemed a big
bigger - though I had an empty seat next to me so that may have helped. Some
of the best and worst FAs I have seen have been on BA, but overall the
standard is pretty good.

I wouldn't even think about a 90 min connection - 3 hours is usually by
minimum (expect in India - leave 6 hours for the bureaucracy )

Mr C.