Thursday 1st September 2011
I took the train to Manchester airport as usual, leaving it as late as possible so I could eat at home wi’t wife and avoid having
to eat on my own at the hotel –which I hate. I booked a room at the
Radisson Blu hotel on Manchester airport – it is connected to the rail station
and terminal 2 by a walkway so is really convenient.
The train wasn’t very busy and I checked in at the hotel at
11 and got a good night’s sleep. My flight wasn’t until 11 and I had checked in
online so didn’t need to get up particularly early. I had the full English to
start the day off but shock!! – no fried eggs! What is going on? Feel a letter
of complaint coming on…
Made a gentle stroll to the terminal, and (I thought) a quick bag
drop – but STILL had to queue to check in (so what’s the point of online???)….also
found myself in the queue behind the entire Barrow Raiders Rugby league team –off
for a club tour in France (via Amsterdam). However, when I got to check in, I
was able to change my crap middle seat for an aisle seat –thanks KLM!
Whilst waiting at the gate for the Amsterdam flight I kept
hearing calls for the US Airways flight to Philly that I have taken in previous
years. That wasn’t an option this time as I wouldn’t have got to Seattle until
late evening.
The flight to Amsterdam was uneventful, apart from an
announcement that due to a passenger having a severe reaction to peanuts, they wouldn’t
be serving any snacks. Oh no!! I thought…how will I make it through a 1 hour
flight without any food….
We landed at Schipol on time and finding the departure terminal
was easy - plenty of signs. Schipol
looks to be a really good airport – clean, well organised and easy to navigate.
Out of interest I tried to change my seat but none were available. At the gate
we had to go through security again, but that was quick and painless, and it wasn’t
long before we were boarding. I was pleasantly surprised when I found my seat –
in the economy comfort zone – loads of leg room and as a bonus a space behind
to stand up (mark row 19 on 767s down for future reference!!).
Shortly after, the food and drink started arriving (thinks –will
start diet tomorrow). A snack initially (pretzels –what is it with Americans and
pretzels –is there any logic there (that’s a joke for Steely Dan fans…). And
they kept forcing alcohol on me…red wine sir? Beer sir? –what’s a guy to do?
On the downside, this being a 767 there are no individual TV
screens (as there are on the Airbus 330 that I usually take). So we all have to
watch the same film. And the ‘choice’ (sorry –selection) –was…”Arthur”. No, not
the original with Dudley Moore and John Gielgud (which had a certain comedy
value) but the abysmal remake with Russell Brand (an outstanding example of how
a total lack of any talent or originality needn’t stop a career in films and
TV. From the initial sequence (featuring Brand and Luis Guzman dressed up as
Batman and Robin driving a replica batmobile through New York pursued by the
cops, it dire. Not a laugh. Not one. The only question was what Helen Mirren
and Geraldine James were doing in it –but I guess that big cheques compensated
for any possible loss of credibility….
So I gave up on the film and started reading ‘Girl who
played with fire’ –the second in Stieg Larssens Millennium trilogy until lunch
came. Lunch was…interesting. A green salad followed by , well, I'm fairly sure
there was chicken involved as the attendant said the choice was vegetarian
lasagna or chicken and I obviously went chicken. There was mashed potato
involved (just about) but then there was…something else…which may have been vegetable
in origin. Now me and veg have this sort of arrangement –mutual loathing – but there
are rules. And one of them is that I need to know what type of veg I’m dealing
with. It’s only fair after all, to know what (if at all) I am about to taste.
But what was glaring out at me was unidentifiable….so I did what I normally do
and left it for Les to eat – well, she wanted a present….just hope it keeps
fresh in my bag….
Eventually (9.5 hours later) we landed at Seattle Tacoma and
I prepared for the nightmare that is US Border control. BUT!!...not only no
queue (the queue for the US/Canada was longer!) but the border guard was polite
and I was through to baggage claim in no time. And it got better –my bag was
off within 10 minutes and I was through…
I caught the airport train to the main terminal and was met
by a nice man with a placard reading ‘Dolben’ and a limo to take me to the hotel
(the joys of VIP status!!). On the way we passed the Boeing factory where there
were several 787’s (Dreamliner) on view (the successor to the 747 and
competition for the Airbus 380). Apparently the plane has just got the all
clear from the FAA and will be in service soon. The driver explained that
Boeing corporate HQ used to be in Seattle but they were enticed to Chicago by
the offer of tax breaks.
He dropped me at the hotel and I checked in, got a room on
the 24th floor, and eventually off to sleep…
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