PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6211 posts, RR: 79 Posted (6 years 1 month 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 13569 times:
MUC-AMS-MEM-ATL on Northwest A332 and 40-year-old DC-9
Into & Planning
In March it was time for yet another three/four-day-spotting/fun trip – and this time to the US again after excursions to Asia and Australia in 2006. KLM had some interesting east coast offers in January for some 400 Euro including tax and I found out that even Atlanta was covered. KLM's B777 and A330 were a priority and I thought about combining an AMS-ATL (A332) and a JFK-AMS (B772) leg until I found an AMS-MEM-ATL run on NWA A332 and DC-9-50 - a type still missing in my log and a rare one, too. So I finally went for MUC-AMS-MEM-ATL and BOS-JFK-AMS-MUC. The fare difference was minimal.
I had thought about spending only one night at ATL and continuing to BOS the next day on domestic carriers but then I decided to book two nights at ATL. Arriving at ATL late in the evening and continuing to BOS early in the morning the next day on another carrier would have been risky. One missed flight missed and the whole trip would be screwed. So in addition to two hotel nights at ATL (Best Western) and one at BOS (Days Inn Saugus) I needed to find a connection to BOS.
It was very clear I would pick an AirTran B717 flight – but the task was to find a destination from where I could continue to BOS on jetBlue's Embraer 190. After a long search I decided to go via Pittsburgh, flying times and fares on both carriers were reasonable. There was a nonstop service to BOS in the afternoon and a one-stop service via JFK including an aircraft change, for only some 30 Euro more. That was a no-brainer!
Equipment change
So in the end I would get 11 flights including two new carriers (AirTran, Comair), three new types (B717, DC-9-50, E190), new airline-type-combinations (KL B772, NW A332) and some new airports for roughly 800 Euro. However, the bad news followed some weeks later. Northwest suddenly changed its schedule between MEM and ATL and the DC-9-50 was switched to a morning departure, leaving my flight being operated by a DC-9-30 (a type which I already had had before). I was disappointed for a while but then I read NWA would keep the DC-9s until at least 2011 – so enough time to try again, considering the -50s are the youngest DC-9s in the fleet. What I hoped for my trip now was either an aircraft change or getting one of the oldest DC-9-30s in service...
Online check-in
KLM offers the option to check in online 30 hours prior to departure but I soon found out I could get access to the MUC-AMS sector only. It was not possible to check in for the other flights. However, NWA's website is excellent for managing bookings, so I already had picked my seats weeks in advance. Any piece of information is shown about any single booked flight on that site, while KLM only displays the itinerary. Clear win for NWA here.
Check-in
Though I had arrived at MUC early I had to wait some 25 minutes in line. There was a large group of American students, each one with bulky skiing equipment which slowed down the process. Later I got my boarding passes, the NWA seat reservation had worked out fine.
Security was passed quickly and I could concentrate on spotting at the glass front. Though, Terminal 1 was deserted as usual. B737-306 PH-BDO "Jacob van Heemskerck" arrived on time:
Shortly after I took my seat I realized the flight would be completely full. The group of some 30 American students also started entering the cabin and as the first five people had passed I noticed a disgusting smell of alcohol which got worse and worse – considering the look of some of these guys it seemed they had preferred to pull a booze-dominated all-nighter...
Our departure was delayed by some 15 minutes, caused by a "problem with the boarding card scanning process". We were finally pushed back at 09:43 and took off from runway 26R into foggy skies.
Much more enjoyable scenery only some minutes later:
Snack
The friendly FAs distributed snack packages and I wondered about their length – until it turned out that they contained both a sandwich (ham or cheese) and an orange juice. The cheese sandwich wasn't a culinary delight, definitely too dry. At least it came with an orange juice which helped gulping...
Nothing else to report from this flight, except for the landing at the distant "Polder" runway and a subsequent taxi time of 15 minutes.
Window shutters
After some spotting I went straight to the concourse E where a number of KLM and NWA long haul aircraft were parked. Just when I approached my gate area I noticed that window shutters had been let down in that concourse section, preventing any view outside. Only a number of gates were affected, so sun protection can't be the reason. Anyway, it was impossible to check the registration of the aircraft so I went down to the lower floor where the toilets are located. As expected there weren't any window shutters, but a group of security staff and again I couldn't check the registration. In the end I went back all the way to the front end of the concourse and got the registration by using my binoculars. The aircraft was N851NW, the first A330-200 delivered to NWA.
Boarding
Before entering the gate I had to wait in line and answer the usual questions when flying to the US. Everyone was friendly, as usual at AMS, so I didn't mind. Boarding started early and I could soon take my seat in row 37.
Seating & IFE box
I had flown on NWA's A330-300 some years ago and therefore the A332's interior was no surprise. It's equipped with exactly the same seats which are really comfortable. However I was indeed surprised about the IFE box under the seat – the version on the A332 extends all across the seat's width which means one can't even stretch out one leg. I can't remember having had that unusual IFE box size on the A333. Anyhow, I wasn't really happy considering I wouldn't be able to stretch out any leg on a 10-hour flight.
Precaution
The load factor seemed to be very high, no seat in the rear section remained empty. Most flight attendants were quite old, but really friendly which is most important. Jazz music was played over the loudspeakers which was a bit disturbing after a while. My seat neighbor was a friendly American lady in the 50s who belonged to a group of travellers which had spent a one-week vacation at Paris. Before she could even start to wonder about my binoculars, my aircraft lists and my diary full of registrations I told her about my hobby. I simply didn't want finding myself in a similar situation like in 2003 when "spotting-scared passengers" delayed one of my NWA flights at DTW and caused the Homeland Security Agency to do a personal check at MSP...
KLM B747-400 with Asia markings through a wet window:
Takeoff
We were pushed back at 14:03 and again I could enjoy a long taxi roll alongside wet Dutch acres and canals to the famous "Polder" runway...
There were numerous aircraft ahead of us and the two PW powerplants had to wait until 14:26 for reving up.
Climbout over even more wet acres…
…refineries and oil tanks…
...and the coastline.
IFE
NWA uses an AVOD (audio/video on-demand) system with a big variety of options. The whole menu can be switched to German, French and Dutch (and others). Overview:
40 movies (new releases, classics, comedy, in different languages)
25 TV features
56 audio CDs
6 interactive games (two multi-player games)
High-resolution maps with zoom function and flight info
Information about NWA, products, customs
SMS message & e-mail
Most of the time I played around with the excellent high-resolution maps with zoom feature or played the stunning inflight trivia. It's a multi-player game but unfortunately no other passengers seemed to care, except for the last two hours of the flight. Meanwhile I also watched the new James Bond movie. The headset didn't work properly but I got a new one quickly.
Lunch "Three cheese pasta" or "chicken" was offered for lunch and I decided to try the chicken. Interestingly, the main course is a ready-made meal by Heinz:
The main course comprised three pieces of chicken breast, a kind of curry-tomato sauce and vegetable rice. It was served with a mixed salad (cucumber, mushrooms, olives), a bread roll and a cappuccino cream cake.
While the chicken pieces themselves and the pieces of cucumber were ok, the rest of both main course and salad weren't delicate at all. The rice was mushy, the sauce tasted strange as well as most of the salad. Best of all was the dessert. Apart from the taste, the portions were quite small and the overall appearance of the tray and the bowls was cheap and without finesse. At least the FAs were very generous with wines and beer which were free of charge.
Crossing Greenland
After watching the new James Bond I checked the map again and found ourselves over Greenland,...
...cruising at 11.040 meters.
Snack
Some two hours prior to landing the FAs served a hot and greasy garlic flavoured chicken sandwich, once again not a culinary delight. The ice cream was tasty, though.
Thick clouds and tiny monocrystals:
During the last half hour of the flight I chatted a bit with the lady seated next to me who. So while we were passing the Mississippi...
...and the city's rather unspectacular skyline...
...I learned a bit about Memphis. I told her I wouldn't stay and would go on to Atlanta and later to Boston, but I preferred not to say anything about the length and the purpose of my US visit…
Touchdown followed at 16:46 and only five minutes later we had arrived at the gate. Since I was seated on the wrong aircraft side I couldn't log a single aircraft out of FedEx's large home-based fleet...
Memphis International Airport
My connecting flight to ATL was still some hours away so there was no need to hurry. Directly after disembarking one had to move downstairs and – again – I had no chance to take a picture of the aircraft. NWA flight 057 is the only transatlantic service to MEM and the only international flight arriving at that time but the waiting time in line was still really long. After grabbing my bag I had to pass a security checkpoint where an officer was loudly shouting – well, not addressing anyone specific but explaining the new hand luggage rules.
While waiting I noticed a large sign in a corner, suggesting pretty much the following: "...Denpasar Ngurah Rai International Airport at Bali, Indonesia, does not comply with US aviation security regulations". A warning about Bali Airport at Memphis? What?
I finally arrived at the departure area and walked around for a while. The airport is definitely showing its age and it lacks space. Corridors and gate areas were crowded, as well as the food places. Not to forget – shops which sell souvenirs offer any kind of Elvis stuff.
Friday, 09 March 2007
Memphis (MEM) – Atlanta (ATL)
Northwest Airlines NW204
19:35-21:58 (19:36-21:53)
Flying time: 00:52 (hrs)
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31
N8921E (s/n 096), first delivered 03/1967 to Eastern Airlines
Economy Seat 7F
40 Years in Service
I had found a place where I could spot discretely but traffic was low and the daylight was almost gone. More than an hour prior to departure I went to my gate and luckily found a window which faced a part of the tarmac. Finally an aircraft arrived but I couldn't see much in the darkness. The last hope for a DC-9-50 was crushed by the short fuselage. Then I checked the registration of the plane which changed my mood: N8921E – a DC-9-31 built in January 1967 (!) and delivered two months later to Eastern Airlines. Actually it is even the second oldest DC-9 in service with NWA. 40 years and still shuttling across the US every day and every day – an amazing piece of engineering.
Flight
The gate was crowded and it seemed this Friday evening service to ATL would be completely full. What would happen if I told these people about the aircraft’s age?, I thought. Probably many pax wouldn't believe it. Painted in new colors and equipped with quite new luggage bins, seats and carpets the aircraft doesn't show its age at all. The average pax doesn't notice a clear difference between a 40-year-old DC-9 and a two-year-old CRJ, except for the size. And of course, many passengers only apperceive the cabin and not even the looks of an aircraft.
Originally I had chosen a seat in the second last row when the reservation system had still shown a DC-9-50, but after the aircraft change my seat was changed to 7F, too. When I noticed that the flight was already full some weeks prior to departure I had no choice any more. The legroom is generous and once again it's ridiculous to find more space on a shirt domestic hop than on a transatlantic flight.
We left the gate on time and engines were started – it was just too bad I didn't have a seat in the rear section. At 19:51 we turned in and the DC-9's acceleration and steep climbout was quite impressing. Flying time was said to be less than an hour and drink service started soon. This time I ordered what hadn't been available on the long haul service – Mountain Dew with ice.
The rest of the short hop was uneventful until the landing lights at the wing tips were switched on and beamed cones of light through the dark skies. Touchdown followed at 21:43 and I enjoyed listening to the reverse thrust's loud thunder.
Cockpit shot
On disembarking I passed a flight attendant and asked him whether I could have a look into the cockpit and he said: "Yes sure, just wait until all other passengers have left the aircraft." Then he told the first officer about my intention and even mentioned "camera" – though I hadn't even asked about a picture yet. The pilot just nodded, said "Let me just get my stuff out here" and grabbed a large plastic bag. Then I took some pictures and told the captain about my record of having flown the oldest aircraft ever that evening. When I mentioned that the plane had been built in 1967 he seemed to think for some seconds and then said: "It's still a good machine!"
Conclusion
The MUC-AMS sector on KLM was an average European short haul flight, not more not less. Legroom is ok, but the snack quality could be improved. NWA's long haul product does not stand out from the average. Though the seat itself is comfortable, the lack of legroom due to the IFE box is awful. The IFE itself is good and prevents boredom. Beverage service is ok, considering that other US carriers charge USD 5 for wine or beer. Both the food's quality and presentation need to be improved, the portion size should be increased. NWA's domestic service is not different from other mainline carriers. Of course I would fly NWA again, but it's definitely not my preferred US transatlantic carrier.
More reports to follow: ATL-PIT-JFK-BOS (AirTran B717 & jetBlue E190) and BOS-JFK-AMS-MUC (Comair CRJ, KLM B772 & B734)
As usual, comments, opinions and questions welcome!
BrianDromey From Ireland, joined Dec 2006, 3812 posts, RR: 9 Reply 1, posted (6 years 1 month 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 13482 times:
Very interesting TR, I must say. I am flying with KL and NW this summer, and this TR has allayed some of my fears!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): It was not possible to check in for the other flights. However, NWA's website is excellent for managing bookings, so I already had picked my seats weeks in advance. Any piece of information is shown about any single booked flight on that site, while KLM only displays the itinerary. Clear win for NWA here.
Agreed. NWA.com is excellent. KLM.com, good, but could be better.
Brian.
Next flights: MAN-ORK-LHR(EI)-MAN(BD); MAN-LHR(BD)-ORK (EI); DUB-ZRH-LAX (LX) LAX-YYZ (AC) YYZ-YHZ-LHR(AC)-DUB(BD)
RoseFlyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 8787 posts, RR: 52 Reply 2, posted (6 years 1 month 1 day ago) and read 13348 times:
Thanks for the report. I'm surprised to see that Heinz logo on the food from NW, but its been a long time since I've been on a flight on NW and longer since they had food.
It sounds like you got some pretty generic service. It wasn't great, but you arrived at your destination safely and on time and that's most important for all but the a.net fans.
cheers,
Roseflyer
If you have never designed an airplane part before, let the real designers do the work!
JRadier From Netherlands, joined Sep 2004, 4599 posts, RR: 51 Reply 3, posted (6 years 1 month 1 day ago) and read 13313 times:
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Denpasar Ngurah Rai International Airport at Bali, Indonesia, does not comply with US aviation security regulations". A warning about Bali Airport at Memphis? What? Confused
Same sign was in Houston Terminal E last x-mas. Not sure why it's there, as it's FAR out of DHS' (which I believe the sign mentioned) jurisdiction.
For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and ther
Airbuseric From Netherlands, joined Jan 2005, 4068 posts, RR: 51 Reply 4, posted (6 years 1 month 1 day ago) and read 13278 times:
Hi
good report, nice pics! I wonder... the NW A332 flight: did the crew hand out further drinks during the 2 meal services? Or are they 'idle' for those hours? Does NW put some drinks/snacks in the galley as 'self service'?
On most of my intercontinental flights I found the self service in the galley (JL, VS, MH, KL) but of course when you ask the crew they will also provide.
How great to fly such an old DC Niner! Just great. Although a pity for you that they changed the a/c type, I wouldn't complain at all
I'm waiting for your Emb190 report... would be interesting to see that impression!
Cheers,
Eric
"The whole world steps aside for the man who knows where he is going"
Skoker From United States of America, joined Apr 2006, 439 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (6 years 1 month 23 hours ago) and read 13228 times:
Quoting JRadier (Reply 3): Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter):
Denpasar Ngurah Rai International Airport at Bali, Indonesia, does not comply with US aviation security regulations". A warning about Bali Airport at Memphis? What? Confused
Same sign was in Houston Terminal E last x-mas. Not sure why it's there, as it's FAR out of DHS' (which I believe the sign mentioned) jurisdiction.
Yep, we've got the same signs here in BUF.
Excellent trip report! Have any pics of the DC-9 cabin?
ATLFlyer323 From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 558 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (6 years 1 month 23 hours ago) and read 13171 times:
I loved the report. You seem to have mastered the balance of writing with pictures (even though I wouldn't mind more pictures). A easy and fun trip report to read, but I love the ol DC-9's so that always makes it fun!
AirTranTUS From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 8, posted (6 years 1 month 22 hours ago) and read 13104 times:
Good report. The IFE on NW trans-Atlantic looks great, but the downside of less legroom is disappointing. I would be willing to fly NW to Europe if the return trip didn't require an overnight connection in MSP due to only one daily flight to TUS.
BA319-131 From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 8278 posts, RR: 56 Reply 9, posted (6 years 1 month 16 hours ago) and read 12835 times:
Nice report, thanks
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): I simply didn't want finding myself in a similar situation like in 2003 when "spotting-scared passengers" delayed one of my NWA flights at DTW and caused the Homeland Security Agency to do a personal check at MSP...
- I remember you telling us!! I was pretty amazed.
- Interesting, not seen that before, perhaps Heinz is going to take on Gate Gourmet etc etc??
I've not read a NW longhaul 'Y' report for a while, I thought they were a little better than this, but they seem on a par with AA,UA etc, well below major european carriers such as AF & BA. That said, at least they don't charge for booze yet, quite a suprise that!
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6211 posts, RR: 79 Reply 12, posted (6 years 1 month 2 hours ago) and read 12194 times:
Thanks a lot for all your feedback!
Quoting RoseFlyer (Reply 2): It sounds like you got some pretty generic service. It wasn't great, but you arrived at your destination safely and on time and that's most important for all but the a.net fans.
I knew about the service I would get so I cannot complain much. Indeed, what was most important was arriving at all airports on time and getting the DC-9.
Quoting Airbuseric (Reply 4): did the crew hand out further drinks during the 2 meal services?
Yes, they offered water and juices all the time.
Quoting Airbuseric (Reply 4): Does NW put some drinks/snacks in the galley as 'self service'?
There was a tray with cups of water and juice in the galley.
Quoting Airbuseric (Reply 4): I'm waiting for your Emb190 report... would be interesting to see that impression!
It will take some more days for the report but what I can say is that the E-Jet rocks!
Quoting Skoker (Reply 5): Have any pics of the DC-9 cabin?
No, unfortunately. It was already dark and I didn't want to use my flash too often.
Quoting BA319-131 (Reply 9): - Interesting, not seen that before, perhaps Heinz is going to take on Gate Gourmet etc etc??
FLIEGER67 From Bulgaria, joined Sep 2003, 4423 posts, RR: 56 Reply 14, posted (6 years 4 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 11812 times:
Hi, PH,
great story.
Especially the DC-9 leg, yes I must say, I envy you about that one.
Had some flights on Aviaco niners, but that´s so long ago, no records about it.
Will wait for your further storys.
Best regards,
Markus (FLIEGER67)
Sabena332 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 16, posted (6 years 4 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 11746 times:
Hello there,
Thanks a lot for the perfect evening entertainment, reading and watching the report was a pleasure!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): So in the end I would get 11 flights including two new carriers (AirTran, Comair), three new types (B717, DC-9-50, E190), new airline-type-combinations (KL B772, NW A332) and some new airports for roughly 800 Euro.
What a great fare for 11 flights! Playing around with the booking engines of airline and travel websites can be a positive surprise sometimes.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Jazz music was played over the loudspeakers which was a bit disturbing after a while.
I really like Jazz, it's IMO the perfect music for boarding, smooth and relaxing.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): I simply didn't want finding myself in a similar situation like in 2003 when "spotting-scared passengers" delayed one of my NWA flights at DTW and caused the Homeland Security Agency to do a personal check at MSP...
WTF? Damn, a friend and me didn't realize that it is also possible to switch to the German language in NWA's entertainment system when we flew on them last year. Well, I think we were still a bit dizzy from the Super Bowl party in the night before.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Actually it is even the second oldest DC-9 in service with NWA. 40 years and still shuttling across the US every day and every day – an amazing piece of engineering.
I agree absolutely, 40 years and still going strong, amazing!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): This time I ordered what hadn't been available on the long haul service – Mountain Dew with ice.
Very, very good choice there, Mountain Dew is by far my favourite soft-drink. You must also try the "Code Red" flavour, it is even better. Other cool flavours are "Pitch Black" (I think it was a Halloween special edition) and "Baja Blast" which is only avilable at Taco Hell.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): More reports to follow: ATL-PIT-JFK-BOS (AirTran B717 & jetBlue E190) and BOS-JFK-AMS-MUC (Comair CRJ, KLM B772 & B734)
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6211 posts, RR: 79 Reply 17, posted (6 years 4 weeks 1 hour ago) and read 11569 times:
Thanks again for all kind replies!
Quoting FLIEGER67 (Reply 14): Especially the DC-9 leg, yes I must say, I envy you about that one.
Well, the good old Niners will operate some more years - perhaps you decide to try to catch one again on a short US trip? I will definitely start a new attempt to get the D95...
Quoting Sabena332 (Reply 16): What a great fare for 11 flights! Playing around with the booking engines of airline and travel websites can be a positive surprise sometimes.
Yes, but I know the opposite just as well...
Quoting Sabena332 (Reply 16): You must also try the "Code Red" flavour, it is even better. Other cool flavours are "Pitch Black" (I think it was a Halloween special edition) and "Baja Blast" which is only avilable at Taco Hell.
Sounds scary - reminds me of a dark blue "soda drink" I tried some years ago...
Sabena332 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 18, posted (6 years 4 weeks ago) and read 11547 times:
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 17): Yes, but I know the opposite just as well...
Same here, reminds me of a situation a few months ago when a friend and me looked for flights from DUS to ALC over the Easter weekend, there was a nice Shithansa/Spanair combination available on Expedia.de for approximately 1400 EUR (in Economy Class).
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 17): Sounds scary - reminds me of a dark blue "soda drink" I tried some years ago...
Once I bought a blue colored soda in a Polish supermarket in Bochum, the lable said "pomegranate flavor" but it rather tasted like Mr. Proper smells. Usually I am a friend of strange tasting soft-drinks like root beer, etc. but the aforementioned Polish stuff was a bit too much.
DFW13L From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 20, posted (6 years 3 weeks 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 11296 times:
Thanks for the great report!
It's an inspiration to see that there are others who think it's fun to go on airplane spotting trips, while most people "don't understand."
I wish you got to see FedEx with a full ramp. It's a very impressive sight at 2-3pm in the daylight.
The Heinz was just too much! They really need to change that.
Anyway, you got me excited about what will probably be my next trip. I just cashed in some credit card miles and combined them with my OnePass miles so I booked a trip next month where my return includes a NW A333 (my first) and connecting to a NW DC9-30, which will be my last time in a DC9 I'm sure.
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6211 posts, RR: 79 Reply 21, posted (6 years 3 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 11027 times:
Thanks again for all comments!
Quoting Sabena332 (Reply 18): combination available on Expedia.de for approximately 1400 EUR
Ridiculous!
Quoting DFW13L (Reply 20): It's an inspiration to see that there are others who think it's fun to go on airplane spotting trips, while most people "don't understand."
Yes, on a.net there are many of us!
Quoting DFW13L (Reply 20): I wish you got to see FedEx with a full ramp. It's a very impressive sight at 2-3pm in the daylight.
Next time I try to stay longer at MEM.
Quoting DFW13L (Reply 20): I just cashed in some credit card miles and combined them with my OnePass miles so I booked a trip next month where my return includes a NW A333 (my first) and connecting to a NW DC9-30, which will be my last time in a DC9 I'm sure.
Great to hear, Matt. You'll definitely enjoy your trip. Last time on DC-9? They will be active for many more years.
Ndebele From Germany, joined Apr 2001, 2895 posts, RR: 24 Reply 22, posted (6 years 3 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 10142 times:
Sorry for the late reply - there were just too many good trip reports here on a.net lately. Finally I found the time to read this one, and I must say I really enjoyed it. Just the perfect mix of text and pics, it was a pleasure to read and watch!
A pity you didn't get your DC-9-50. Although they're all just DC-9s to me, I can understand that other aviation nuts actually make a difference between the subtypes. NW's longhaul service was indeed a surprise - excellent IFE (which is very important for me when chosing an airline), but then the Heinz meal, OMG! I don't care too much about the meal, as I normally eat whatever they serve, but really, that's just ridiculous.
So may I ask, from one reg-spotter to the other: how many new registration did you get on this whole trip?
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6211 posts, RR: 79 Reply 23, posted (6 years 3 weeks 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 9989 times:
Servus Alex,
thanks for your feedback. The trip was really successful from a reg spotter's point of view - I got 342 new registrations: ATL (156), JFK (75), AMS (48), BOS (24), PIT (21), MUC (11), MEM (7). ATL just rocks, I had trouble with writing down so fast sometimes...
Aaden From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 832 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (6 years 3 weeks 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 9978 times:
I liked the detail, as well as the pictures.
25 JRadier: you seriously have to try IAH for CO/COex
26 PlaneHunter: Actually that's an excellent idea, I need to visit a CO hub to get more of their registrations. The question is how long I would enjoy taking down al
27 SandroZRH: Hey PH! Excellent TR! I envy you and your travels, btu there's still time for me to catch up Did you book two one-ways or a multi-city? 400 Euros seem
28 PlaneHunter: Hi Sandro, thanks a lot for your comments! I'm sure you will catch up soon once you start wearing three stripes... It was an amazing offer, valid als
29 AA767LOVER: What I found unacceptable was the delay due to boarding card scanner. This should have been given a thorough check during the non-peak travel hours, l
30 Dc-9-10: I think the Heinz catering actually comes from the KLM catering in AMS. When I flew to MUC last year (and to NRT a few years ago) the food on NW was
31 Av8rDAL: Excellent report! I did a similar routing earlier this year: ATL-DTW-FRA, DUS-DTW-ATL. It was good to experience NW's domestic and international fleet
32 September11: This is an impressive trip report.
33 PlaneHunter: Thanks for all new replies! I still have to get on the DC-9-50 finally - hopefully NW keeps them flying for a while. Nice mix - how was the legroom on
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I agree absolutely, 40 years and still going strong, amazing!
Usually I am a friend of strange tasting soft-drinks like root beer, etc. but the aforementioned Polish stuff was a bit too much. 
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