Thread: Short trip report - AKL

I am not going to bore you with stories of hot weather, ice creams and waterfalls, as it was a short trip to visit family. But one or two snippets from the journeys that may be of interest.

AA flies LAX-AKL on a seasonal basis for five months of the year, and generally flights are pretty full. But in Feb-Mar there is a small number of odd days when a standby passenger can reasonably hope to get a comfy ride without the risk of being squashed between two people for 13+ hours in the back of the bus.

The flight is extremely popular with revenue passengers looking for mileage upgrades etc. and also popular with non rev passengers. Meanwhile the transatlantic traffic flows are at a low ebb, so with a little planning, timing can be perfect for LHR-AKL-LHR using AA all the way.

Of course, the worst part of this journey is the very long wait at LAX between flights. It is possible to hop on a bus and stroll around Santa Monica, but only if you are wide awake !! On this trip I strolled along the airside corridor to the Tom Bradley terminal, where I was very pleased to discover a small handful of very comfortable chairs where I managed a couple of hours sleep.

Boarding the AKL flight was a new first for me……boarding by facial recognition. AA advised us that it was a new system being trialled, and that passengers could opt for the normal ‘passport and boarding pass presented to an agent’ or the new system. I tried the new system and am pleased to report that it is fantastic. Just standing in front of a screen with a camera, it confirms you are ok to board within about three seconds, having matched your face with the passport image held by Homeland Security or Customs / Immigration and then with the passenger list held by AA. A message on the screen confirms your seat number, flight details etc. and off you go down the jetway !! The mind boggles about how our grandchildren will shop, bank, etc when it is all done only by facial recognition.

On the return trip, we arrived into LAX an hour early which curiously was a problem, because there is no customs presence until 6am, so we were prevented from deplaning for an hour. Not sure if this was normal or a leftover from the recent government shutdown. It does seem odd that an International Airport does not have 24/7 customs presence.

Now it is time to catch my breath before repeating the journey, this time with Mrs Lee, although by the time we return, AA will have ceased the seasonal flight and we will come back a different way. Even more excitement !!

Lee