Sydney Kingsford Smith

After a quick breakfast in one of the food courts of the shopping malls near my hotel, I left the Four Points Hotel in Sydney at 10:00 in the morning and walked to St. James Station, where I took the train to Sydney airport, which is in my eyes a good, fast and convenient way to do.
Arriving at the International Airport Station, I took the stairs up and walked to the check-in counters of United at row J. I asked about a change of seats but was told the plane was full and only middle seats in Economy Plus were available. So I decided to stay with my window seat in the first row of Economy Class. This means also I could get off the plane in Los Angeles really fast.

Immigration was a short wait of 5 minutes and the security check afterwards took another five minutes. I first walked in direction of the United Gate to see how far away from the Red Carpet Club it was. There was another security check point before entering this gate area. I really can’t understand why the Australian Airport Authority or whoever insisted this security though it would need a stronger security measure than in the US. In my eyes this is ridiculous and not necessary, especially as it means in my eyes the first security check-point is not enough and someone could pass it. If it is because of the mass of duty-free shops they should close them or move the security checkpoints in front of the gate areas.

Anyway, as passing means no way back, I decided to head over to the Red Carpet Club, which is located near Gate 53 in the lower level.

The Red Carpet Club is one of the bigger ones with a good selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage. There were also some rolls, crackers, cookies, muffins and packed cheese and ham available.

Someone of United would accompany us to the gate at 12:30. I read a bit in my book, had a small late second breakfast.

At 12:30 a group of people head over to the gate area. At the second security check everybody’s hand luggage was checked again manually. The security agent checking my luggage put the things no in the way back they were packed, so he put the laptop in the wrong place and nearly destroyed my digital camera. So I did it myself, but this seems to annoy the agent, as he began to check everything again. As I wanted to leave I got an additional second body screening and had to put off of shoes and belt once again. As this time I was really annoyed about this security handling.

Boarding was separated for Economy Passengers and Star Silver / Star Gold, Business Class and First Class Passengers (indicated by the colour of the boarding pass). This means I was able to board among the first passengers, what really was not my intention, but standing near the gate, the agent told me to move in line.

26 August 2006
SYD – LAX
[Sydney – Los Angeles]
UA 840 (United); Boeing 747-400 (N195UA)
Gate 36 / 37
13:45 – 10:12 [effective 13:55– 10:10]
Economy Class
Seat 32 A

I headed to the Economy Class Cabin and took my seat in 32 A after I put my belonging in the seat pocket in front of me. As usual headphone, pillow and blanket were placed on the seat.

The plane was full in all classes and therefore the seats beside my seat taken by two other passengers. Unfortunately my seat neighbour uses parts of my seat too.

The plane filled with passengers and we pushed back at 13:55 for our flight to Los Angeles with was indicated as 12:30 hours flight on the screen.

We rolled to our runway and were finally in the air at 14:07 and headed over the Pacific Ocean. After the seat belt sign were turned off the cabin crew prepared the first round of beverage with some assorted nuts with started twenty minutes after we took off. I had my usual Tonic Water.

Fifty minutes later meal service started with the choice of chicken with rice and vegetables and beef with potatoes and peas. I took the chicken with came with a sauce with had no taste and the rice was dry and also had no taste. The chicken was okay, but did not help if the rest of the meal is bad. The meal came along with a salad, a slice of cake and some fruits as well as a (packed) roll. I passed half of the meal. The tray table are somewhat small for this tray, especially as the left side was lowering a bit and I had to put the pillow below it to adjust it in 180°.

The flight attendant serving beverage did not look at one as she serves the beverage, but this is a phenomena I discovered quite often on planes, but in this case she nearly let the glass fall on me. And it is not the friendliest way to do it.

The most members of the crew were also not as friendly as the ones on the flight to Sydney. No smile and addressing them it seems they felt disturbed by fellow passengers.

I was able to catch a few hours of sleep until mid-flight snack was served. This time again a roll along with a choice of beverage. The lights were dimmed during flight time, as usual.

The rest of the flight, which was really uneventful I read in my book, listen to one of the 11 musicchannels (Channel 9 was not turned on) and dozed a bit. As far as I noticed, the crew did no round with orange juice or water during flight time, but brought them on request if one addressed them.

The lights were turned on after app. 10:50 hours flight time and shortly after the immigration forms for the US were handled out. Some minutes later the breakfast service started. One could choose either an omelette or a fruit plate. I took the Omelette. It came along with a sausage and some sort of small rösti. I had a cup of tea with breakfast and fortunately got a refill.

We touched down at 09:48 and arrived at our gate after a long taxi at 10:10. I was able leave the plane really fast, especially as Economy Passengers again were not hold back and could wait in the Business Class Cabin. So I was able to leave the plane even before all passengers of the upper deck had deboared the plane. Security was really fast, a few passengers were queuing in front of me, but it took less than three minutes to be asked by one of the immigration officers.

Unfortunately it took nearly half an hour before my luggage finally arrived on the belt. And up to customs, which were another three minutes wait and while walking to the hotel shuttle pick up point I called the Hilton Garden Inn El Segundo, where I again spend a night, to send a shuttle to pick me up at the airport.

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