Israel trip: getting there
Dec. 23rd, 2006 11:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cellioWhen checking in at the Pittsburgh airport, I had to show a passport. That's probably a good way to make sure people have it before getting to Newark and getting onto the international flight. On the other hand, I find it a little surprising that they swiped my passport and handed me a boarding pass and luggage tags. I didn't expect the databases to be connected.
The flights have been uneventful so far, which is the way they should be. I didn't expect bilingual announcements on a Continental flight. Phrases that were not translated on their way into Hebrew: "business class", "iPod" (not surprising), and "electricity".
From the put-your-appliances-away announcement: "...and Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, pretty much any berries... actually, if it has an on/off switch, you should turn it off now". :-)
Having a seat number ending in "E" can never be good. There was a one-in-three chance of a middle seat on the big plane. Fortunately, as I was sitting down a pair of people came to my row, said they're travelling together, and asked if I'd mind if they sat together. Twist my arm. :-) They are nice folks; they also have a fistful of coupons for free drinks, so I accepted one and got some wine with dinner. (For airline food, by the way, the kosher meal (from Weiss) was remarkably good.)
Rumor has it there's a minyan forming in the back of the plane. More later.
Addendum over Barcelona: is it too much to ask that on a red-eye
people shut up? Sigh. (We have the last row of seats
in the section, so there's a walkway behind us and lavatories to
either side. It's a popular place for people to walk and talk.)
I found the "map and stats" channel on the video console. It's about a five-minute cycle showing maps of where we are (at different zooms), times at origin and destination, estimated remaining flight time, speed, etc. Currently our ground speed is about 600mph and the outside temperature is -63F. Ok, I guess at 39,000 feet I can believe that; my initial reaction was suspicion.
Earlier the airline was hawking duty-free goods (presumably at exhorbitant markup). And apparently people go for it, at least sometimes. Overheard:
"Do you have any other olternatives for {product species)?"
"This is a 777, not a 7-11"
"Ok, that's fair."
(no subject)
Date: 2006-12-29 12:25 am (UTC)