Arriving from Sydney at 9:43 a.m., the touch down at LAX was quite smooth, and we taxied up to Gate 74 pretty quickly. This was my second time at this airport, but my first arrival, as last time I had driven down from San Francisco and then flown on to Honolulu. Being at the back of the rather full plane it took ten or fifteen minutes to get off, but that turned out to be the easy part.
Following the signs to Immigration and Baggage Claim I found myself in a large room with a very large zig-zag queue, of which I was now at the tail end. I’d read about new security and immigration rules the United States Government had recently introduced, including ESTA ( Electronic System for Travel Authorisation – for travellers whose passports are from Visa Waiver Program member countries, like Australia ) and Biometric Identity Management. I didn’t have a problem with any of that – the ESTA takes a few minutes online and cost me $14, and Biometric Identity (fingerprinting and photo basically) should be of no concern to anyone with honourable intentions. The problem was that with only four or five officers processing a Jumbo load of incoming passengers, I stood in that queue for nearly two hours, which you really don’t feel like doing straight after a thirteen hour flight.
Eventually, of course, my turn came around, and I asked the officer if they were short-staffed today. He rolled his eyes and said it was like this all the time, due to government cut-backs. More processing to do and less staff to do it – and, he added, it isn’t going to get better. He was actually very friendly, and after scanning my passport he indicated how to place my fingers and thumbs for the finger print scan, took my photo, handed back my passport and with a smile said “Welcome to the United States”
With that welcome I followed the signs to Baggage Claim and Exit. As I had no baggage to claim I went straight for the exit, which was a healthy walk of 200 metres or more. Once there I was asked by a Customs Officer if I had any food – not because he was hungry, but because of the restrictions on bringing food products into the US. I told him I just had some mint lollies I’d been eating on the plane, and he said to have a nice day as he waved me through. One last door and I was in the main lobby area with the road outside. With no sign of anywhere I could quickly get a coffee, I seized this opportunity to go out and have a long awaited cigarette, and let some VIP’s know that I’d made it safely to LA. Where I should have had about three hours before my next flight, I now had barely one because of the immigration delay, and didn’t actually know where I was supposed to go next.
The land side of the airport seemed somehow older and shabbier than I expected. I went outside to sit and have a cigarette in the relative calm of the airport bustle that is common the world over. Calm because I was no longer standing in a queue, and because my longhaul strategy seemed to have worked, as I was feeling quite good. There were people everywhere, some smoking some not, light skin, dark skin, oriental, hispanic....it didn’t seem to matter. I sat for a few minutes just taking it in, and coming to grips with the fact that all of a sudden I was in the USA.
Time Since Leaving Home: 21hrs.
 |
| A very long passage towards the exit at LAX. Looks deserted because of the time it took to get there from immigration. Most of the passengers from my flight had already gone by now. |
Time Since Leaving Home: 21hrs.
Next Flight: Los Angeles To Newark, New Jersey, UA1526
The time soon came when I needed to find out where to board my next flight. Before I went outside I had ventured up an escalator after seeing some screens with a lot of United Airlines flights on them, suggesting that it might be that way. At that point I hadn’t dug out my next boarding pass, so I wasn’t sure of the flight number and time, but Newark was mentioned a few times on the monitors. At the top of the escalator it was basically straight into the security line, so I doubled back to go outside. After my second smoke I went back inside and found an information desk, manned by a very friendly middle-aged African-American man. I had fished out my boarding pass by now, which only had the flight number on it, with the Gate showing as “Not Yet Assigned”, and I showed it to the man. With a smile he indicated towards the escalator I had been up earlier, where I would find Gate 60. So off I went again to join the queue at the security check. This queue was considerably bigger than the one in Melbourne, but it was progressing fairly quickly, and only took about fifteen minutes to conquer.
Once inside the Sterile Zone I found my gate was the first one on my left. Boarding hadn’t started yet, and there were lots of people in the lounge. I only had Australian cash on me, so I found an ATM and withdrew US$20. I didn’t need much – something now, and maybe some dinner once I got to my hotel, and cash would be handy for some lunch the next day as I head up towards Canada. I was still looking for a coffee, but that would have involved another queue, so I settled for a quicker option which was a cold bottle of Coke. United were now calling for Boarding Group 1 on my flight. I was group 4 again, so I had a little bit of time to wander aimlessly. The announcer began picking up the pace a little, urging passengers to be ready so they could board quickly and the flight could leave on time. She actually sounded a little bossy, but departure time was fast approaching and she may have been a little stressed. My turn came around sooner than I expected, and before I knew it I was on my way down the airbridge. There was a strong smell of something a little like disinfectant as I approached the aircraft, and it was even stronger onboard. Perhaps someone had been sick, which may have been why they were running a bit late. I had Seat 40E for this trip, back row again, starboard side, middle of three. I couldn't book a window seat for this flight as by the time I booked nearly all the seats were taken. Working my way down the single aisle a female Flight Attendant in front of me stopped to assist someone who was struggling to get their bag into the overhead locker. Holding her own bag in her right hand this rather sturdy woman grabbed the passenger’s bag with her left, and with a quick tug, twist and a good shove, she slammed the locker shut. Obviously done this a few times before.
Once inside the Sterile Zone I found my gate was the first one on my left. Boarding hadn’t started yet, and there were lots of people in the lounge. I only had Australian cash on me, so I found an ATM and withdrew US$20. I didn’t need much – something now, and maybe some dinner once I got to my hotel, and cash would be handy for some lunch the next day as I head up towards Canada. I was still looking for a coffee, but that would have involved another queue, so I settled for a quicker option which was a cold bottle of Coke. United were now calling for Boarding Group 1 on my flight. I was group 4 again, so I had a little bit of time to wander aimlessly. The announcer began picking up the pace a little, urging passengers to be ready so they could board quickly and the flight could leave on time. She actually sounded a little bossy, but departure time was fast approaching and she may have been a little stressed. My turn came around sooner than I expected, and before I knew it I was on my way down the airbridge. There was a strong smell of something a little like disinfectant as I approached the aircraft, and it was even stronger onboard. Perhaps someone had been sick, which may have been why they were running a bit late. I had Seat 40E for this trip, back row again, starboard side, middle of three. I couldn't book a window seat for this flight as by the time I booked nearly all the seats were taken. Working my way down the single aisle a female Flight Attendant in front of me stopped to assist someone who was struggling to get their bag into the overhead locker. Holding her own bag in her right hand this rather sturdy woman grabbed the passenger’s bag with her left, and with a quick tug, twist and a good shove, she slammed the locker shut. Obviously done this a few times before.
I was aboard a Boeing 757-300, tail number N57862, which was built in 2001 and was originally operated by ATA Airlines until they ceased operations and the craft was transferred to Continental Airlines in March 2010. With the United-Continental merger, United Airlines took delivery of this aeroplane in December 2011. It is version 2 of the 757-300, with a 3 Class cabin in a 3 - 3 single aisle configuration in Economy Plus and Economy.
 |
| N57862 ready for boarding at LAX |
Being one of the last to board, the plane was nearly full by the time I reached the back row of seats. Either the smell of disinfectant had gone or my nose had adapted to it, but either way it wasn't bothering me anymore. A young black woman was already sitting in the window seat next to mine, and a similarly aged white girl had the aisle seat ( I'm not sure whether I'm allowed to use the words black and white these days, although it's still OK to say blue or brown in reference to eye colour, blonde or brunette, even black, in reference to hair colour, so what the heck? No offence intended, I'm just painting a picture ). The seats looked rather crammed and I couldn't see myself wrestling to get my laptop from under the seat in front of me to use it, let alone actually doing something with it, so I decided to pop it in the overhead bin along with my carry on bag and coat. One of the flight attendants had been issuing a lecture on how best to place the carry-on bags in the overhead lockers: handle in, wheels out, which seemed a bit back to front to me, but being a good Jetizen I complied, and to my surprise it did actually work better. After disturbing the white girl so I could get in, I said hello to the black girl who responded with a nice friendly smile and then returned to her window. Beyond that there was no conversation, and I didn't bother with introductions.
Looking at a couple of the female FA's my mind was cast back to one review I read in which the writer suggested that United's girls were not as elegant as, say, the Singapore Girls. In this cabin crew I could see what he may have been referring to - slightly over-done make-up and lipstick, wet looking hair and chewing gum.....sort of like a truck stop waitress versus a Hilton Hotel Dining Room Waitress. But I actually liked it - perhaps because I've spent a lot of years driving trucks, and practically no time at all in posh restaurants. This wasn't a hob-nob flight, it was more of a commuter flight, and these girls weren't trying to be supermodels.
Time Since Leaving Home: 22hrs 30mins.
With a scheduled departure time of 12:50 LA time, it wasn't until about 1:05 pm we pushed back from Gate 60 and at 1:09pm we were airborne, heading North East for Newark, New Jersey, still a continent away. This flight should have taken five hours and eighteen minutes, but the Captain told us that the wind was in our favour and we should still make Newark on time. It was a clear afternoon, and our flight path took us over Las Vegas towards Chicago, skirting the edge of Canada to end up in Newark. Unfortuntely I couldn't see much out of the window but I did observe what I thought might be the Grand Canyon, however I didn't want to be rude and push across the front of the not very talkative young lady beside me to get a better look and take a photo.
As a "commuter" flight and under six hours there was no complimentary meal service on this flight. There was food available for purchase, however, and the crew directed our attention to the magazine in the seat-back pouch in front of us, which contained the menu on the last page. About an hour and a half into the flight the FA's came around asking passengers if they wanted anything from the selection. I was feeling more than a little hungry, having had nothing to eat since breakfast on my way in from Sydney, now something like five hours ago. I ordered an Angus Cheeseburger for $7.99, and passed the Flight Attendant my credit card. I thought it was a little expensive, but it was the cheapest item on the menu that appealed to me. Neither of my companions ordered any food, but the girl at the window asked for some water. Within a few minutes my Angus Cheeseburger arrived, and it was quite delicious.
As I couldn't see much out of the window and the young ladies either side of me were either sleeping or reading, I stretched out as best I could, pulled the little wings of the headrest in to support my head, pushed the seat right back, and had a snooze. I was glad I'd put my laptop in the overhead locker, as I was able to get my feet underneath the seat in front of me, legs pretty near straight, and surprisingly comfortable. Once again the sun was setting behind us as we raced towards the night, and having had a good snooze it didn't seem long before the captain announced our approach to Newark.
My neighbour at the window became more talkative when we started to descend through the clouds which were only just visible as darkness was arriving in Newark as quickly as we were. She commented on how long we'd been in the clouds now, and that there had to be some land down there somewhere. I think she was actually a little nervous. We did seem to be a long time in the clouds, with nothing visible to tell us how high or low we were, and only the limited sensations of motion to know if we were turning or flying straight. From time to time the engine noise would all but disappear, giving a strange sensation of not moving at all, just hanging in space. Suddenly roof tops appeared below us and the plane's movements became more accentuated, as the pilot went through the motions of lining up with the runway ahead.
Though we didn't particularly notice any extraordinary jostling as we made our final approach, the touch-down was quite vigorous, and we were flung sideways in our seats, first to our right, then to our left, before the nose wheel came down and stablised the craft. The engines roared with reverse thrust and it felt like some heavy braking was applied as we sensed ourselves being firmly drawn forwards in our seats. It seemed as if the plane may have been caught by a bit of a crosswind just before touch-down, and actually landed on a slight angle to the runway, and those couple of seconds it took to deal with that meant we had to pull up a little harder than normal. Touchdown was at 9:07pm Newark time, and we arrived at Gate C74 at 9:13. There was a delay of a few minutes before we could disembark - some problem with the airbridge I think - but by about 9:25 we all started making our way towards the door.
I'd read a couple of comments about Newark Liberty Airport, and some had said it was a very confusing airport, so I was hoping I wouldn't have too much trouble finding my way to the Avis Car Rental to pick up my car, which hopefully would be ready and waiting for me. I had researched this well before I left Melbourne, and watched a very handy video on the Avis website, explaining how to get to them. So now all I had to do was find the Air Train, and to my delight there was no shortage of signs to various exits, terminals, and the Air Train. Now to get my car....
Time Since Leaving Home: 27hrs 55mins
I hope you've enjoyed reading this little post, and if you have, please feel free to use the buttons below to share it through your favorite Social Media. If you didn't enjoy it, I'd love to know why - constructive criticism is always welcome, so please feel free to comment.
Keith B Hamilton
Next Up: Road Trip To Canada! .... my road trip to Ontario begins at Newark Airport with a short drive to my hotel for the night in Parsippany, and continues next morning across the Delaware River and through the Appalachians
Looking at a couple of the female FA's my mind was cast back to one review I read in which the writer suggested that United's girls were not as elegant as, say, the Singapore Girls. In this cabin crew I could see what he may have been referring to - slightly over-done make-up and lipstick, wet looking hair and chewing gum.....sort of like a truck stop waitress versus a Hilton Hotel Dining Room Waitress. But I actually liked it - perhaps because I've spent a lot of years driving trucks, and practically no time at all in posh restaurants. This wasn't a hob-nob flight, it was more of a commuter flight, and these girls weren't trying to be supermodels.
Time Since Leaving Home: 22hrs 30mins.
With a scheduled departure time of 12:50 LA time, it wasn't until about 1:05 pm we pushed back from Gate 60 and at 1:09pm we were airborne, heading North East for Newark, New Jersey, still a continent away. This flight should have taken five hours and eighteen minutes, but the Captain told us that the wind was in our favour and we should still make Newark on time. It was a clear afternoon, and our flight path took us over Las Vegas towards Chicago, skirting the edge of Canada to end up in Newark. Unfortuntely I couldn't see much out of the window but I did observe what I thought might be the Grand Canyon, however I didn't want to be rude and push across the front of the not very talkative young lady beside me to get a better look and take a photo.
 |
The only photo I was able to take on this flight, seizing the opportunity of my co-passenger's toilet break. St George Municipal Airport in the bottom left of the photo, looking towards Grand Canyon, which would be on or just over the horizon.
|
As a "commuter" flight and under six hours there was no complimentary meal service on this flight. There was food available for purchase, however, and the crew directed our attention to the magazine in the seat-back pouch in front of us, which contained the menu on the last page. About an hour and a half into the flight the FA's came around asking passengers if they wanted anything from the selection. I was feeling more than a little hungry, having had nothing to eat since breakfast on my way in from Sydney, now something like five hours ago. I ordered an Angus Cheeseburger for $7.99, and passed the Flight Attendant my credit card. I thought it was a little expensive, but it was the cheapest item on the menu that appealed to me. Neither of my companions ordered any food, but the girl at the window asked for some water. Within a few minutes my Angus Cheeseburger arrived, and it was quite delicious.
As I couldn't see much out of the window and the young ladies either side of me were either sleeping or reading, I stretched out as best I could, pulled the little wings of the headrest in to support my head, pushed the seat right back, and had a snooze. I was glad I'd put my laptop in the overhead locker, as I was able to get my feet underneath the seat in front of me, legs pretty near straight, and surprisingly comfortable. Once again the sun was setting behind us as we raced towards the night, and having had a good snooze it didn't seem long before the captain announced our approach to Newark.
My neighbour at the window became more talkative when we started to descend through the clouds which were only just visible as darkness was arriving in Newark as quickly as we were. She commented on how long we'd been in the clouds now, and that there had to be some land down there somewhere. I think she was actually a little nervous. We did seem to be a long time in the clouds, with nothing visible to tell us how high or low we were, and only the limited sensations of motion to know if we were turning or flying straight. From time to time the engine noise would all but disappear, giving a strange sensation of not moving at all, just hanging in space. Suddenly roof tops appeared below us and the plane's movements became more accentuated, as the pilot went through the motions of lining up with the runway ahead.
Though we didn't particularly notice any extraordinary jostling as we made our final approach, the touch-down was quite vigorous, and we were flung sideways in our seats, first to our right, then to our left, before the nose wheel came down and stablised the craft. The engines roared with reverse thrust and it felt like some heavy braking was applied as we sensed ourselves being firmly drawn forwards in our seats. It seemed as if the plane may have been caught by a bit of a crosswind just before touch-down, and actually landed on a slight angle to the runway, and those couple of seconds it took to deal with that meant we had to pull up a little harder than normal. Touchdown was at 9:07pm Newark time, and we arrived at Gate C74 at 9:13. There was a delay of a few minutes before we could disembark - some problem with the airbridge I think - but by about 9:25 we all started making our way towards the door.
I'd read a couple of comments about Newark Liberty Airport, and some had said it was a very confusing airport, so I was hoping I wouldn't have too much trouble finding my way to the Avis Car Rental to pick up my car, which hopefully would be ready and waiting for me. I had researched this well before I left Melbourne, and watched a very handy video on the Avis website, explaining how to get to them. So now all I had to do was find the Air Train, and to my delight there was no shortage of signs to various exits, terminals, and the Air Train. Now to get my car....
Time Since Leaving Home: 27hrs 55mins
* * * * *
I hope you've enjoyed reading this little post, and if you have, please feel free to use the buttons below to share it through your favorite Social Media. If you didn't enjoy it, I'd love to know why - constructive criticism is always welcome, so please feel free to comment.
Keith B Hamilton
No comments:
Post a Comment