Montreal-Palm Springs via Cathay Pacific First
It doesn't take much for me to lust for another CX flight, and with all my regular trips to the east coast, I've been trying to work in either the JFK-YVR or YVR-JFK CX nonstop without it costing an arm and a leg. Well, yesterday was the perfect storm. I was in Montreal for the day to visit my ailing dad, while Mrs. SFO had flown to Palm Springs for a few days with some girl friends. Since she was not scheduled to return until Friday afternoon, I figured that I had just been given a Hall Pass, or at least the travel version. 
And until my AA JFK-SFO HOLD upgrade cleared, I was plotting to see if I could get to CMB and then back to SFO by Friday PM. BTW, it is not possible. 
At 10:45AM yesterday, I had just landed in YUL on my AA Eagle flight from JFK, and saw a text sent 4 hours earlier from Mrs. SFO saying that her knee had given out again and she was in the ER in PSP. This was the same knee that she injured before our Australia trip, was scheduled for surgery last week, but postponed to next week so she could play in PSP. But I digress. By the time I talked to her, she was back at the hotel but now had to keep her knee immobile and generally restrict her movement, hopefully poolside. I had planned to say in YUL overnight and return to SFO this morning. Change of plans. Now the challenge was (1) to get to PSP as soon as possible to pick her up and bring her back to SFO all by tomorrow night, (2) do it in First or as much as possible and (3) not pay an arm and a leg.
Since AC was out of the question with my AC Elite expiring last month, late afternoon out of season westbound options x-YUL are few and far between. With most Thursday flights now showing F0 to F2 at best, upgrade chances were slim to none, and last minute fares were ridiculous. Then it hit me. Cathay to YVR. EF showed F3 with BA.com showing 2 F awards seats @ 37,500 avios miles and $32. Book it Danno. Now to JFK. AA's 5:25P YUL-JFK was too early for comfort, so for 4,500 avios miles I booked the 6:35P YUL-LGA Eagle flight. From Vancouver, OMG WestJet has a 8:25A PSP nonstop! With a last minute price of only C$320. Booked. And finally from PSP-SFO, was able to book two F seats on VX's 6:50PM PSP-SFO. With a plan in place and lots of connect time at each airport, time to see how my body would react to two consecutive nights of red-eyes. But the thought of CX First was all the adrenaline this CX junkie needed.
I bid adieu to mom, dad and my sister at 4:20P and headed into the typically horrendous Montreal rush hour traffic. Despite bumper-to-bumper traffic most of the way on the 20, I pulled into the Avis return lane at 4:55P, waited for my receipt and arrived at the AA counter at 5:05P. With NEXUS, I jumped ahead of the handful of other pax in the mostly deserted security and CBP pre-clearance facility and by 5:15P was at the AA gate where boarding for the 5:25P YUL-JFK was nearly complete. For a smaller AA outstation, I have always found the YUL staff to be outstanding and today was no exception. Friendly and accommodating AAgent gladly changed my ticket from the later LGA flight, even asking if I had a seat preference.
YUL-JFK
AA 4444
ERD
5:25P-7:10P (sked)
5:35P-7:25P (actual)
March 21, 2012
Our 57 minute flight turned into nearly 90 minutes as the spectacularly warm sunny day became overcast just south of Albany and in NYC, low clouds and heavy fog apparently never burned off all day. From near 80 degrees in Montreal to mid-50's in NYC. Wow. After long trek from 31-D to the AirTrain for the one stop over to T-7, I was at the CX First Class check in counter by 8PM.
Cathay Pacific Check-in
I had no time for seat selection earlier but noticed that 2A and 2K were the only two unassigned seats, so no worries. Pleasant CX check in agent told me that I had been assigned 2D. When I asked about moving to 2A or 2K, he checked the computer and gave me the usual CX song and dance about 2AK being reserved for pax with bassinets. Sure, two of those are going to walk up in the next hour and plunk down $4K for the one way to YVR or $10K+ to HKG. Figuring perhaps status might mean something, I gave him my EXP card and asked if he could try again, promising to move if two bassinets showed up. He called someone above his pay grade and got the OK to release either seat for a OW Emerald, although he first joked that they had refused to release. Just kidding.
BA Terraces First Class Lounge and Pre-Flight Dining
OK, I've been spoiled by some really nice lounges but this one is not one of them. Especially when I have 2.5 hours to kill. This place needs a major makeover, although there is probably not much incentive for BA since all their F pax are in the (presumably much nicer) Concorde Room.
The Pre-Flight Dining room is a great idea, considering the number of late BA departures. Nice looking selection of options. The curry chicken and seafood were both very good and took the edge off my hunger pangs before my real dinner coming in a few hours.
Back from the dining room, my flight is now showing a 30 minute delay, due to either (1) additional security check on the plane or (2) the fog. Both excuses were given separately over the PA by the lounge dragons. The dragons did however a very good job of informing pax about boarding and delays. At about T-55, I'd had enough of this place and decided to head to the gate to get to 2A as soon as boarding commenced.
Special Note: I apologize for the subpar quality of the pics in this report. I had not planned on doing TR so I left the big dog Canon at home.
All the pics here are either from my old Lumix or my pre-4S iphone.