Delta Air Lines

IATA: DL
ICAO: DAL
Website
02-Jun-03 / 03-Jun-03
DL 22 - Atlanta Hartsfield (ATL) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Pre
Flight Information |
I
was traveling with my boss and the group's director. We were
traveling to Paris for meetings with Air France. It was going to be
a quite trip; we would be in Paris less than thirty hours. The
department's administrative assistant printed our boarding cards, so we
didn't have to bother with the check-in facilities in the south terminal
of the airport. We passed through security, which was relatively
quiet, and proceeded to Concourse E, from which all international flights
depart the airport. My director had a pass to the Delta Crown Room,
so we spent the time before departure in the lounge. We
boarded the aircraft - it was a full flight. |
Operational
Information |
Aircraft
tail number |
N7003D (B777-300) |
Frequent-flyer
distance |
4394
miles |
Times |
Departure |
Arrival |
Schedule |
17:40 |
Schedule |
08:15
(+1) |
Board
aircraft |
17:23 |
Landing |
07:48 |
Door
close |
17:45 |
Gate
arrival |
07:55 |
Gate
departure |
17:50 |
Door
open |
07:57 |
Takeoff |
18:10 |
Disembark |
07:58 |
Routing
|
Exit
the US continent over Norfolk, VA and head up the eastern seaboard.
Enter the European continent near Lorient and head to Paris / Charles de
Gaulle airport. |
Service
Information |
Since
we had meetings the next afternoon, I was going to attempt to sleep during
the flight. Consequently, I requested the Express Classics™
option; this allowed me to enjoy the meal in one course, instead of the
standard three courses. I had the corn chower, followed by the
chicken pot pie. While the meal was good, the most upsetting aspect
was that I did not get a dessert. I missed out on the ice cream
sundaes. Unfortunately, I
forgot to take pictures of the meal.
I only slept about three hours. I
guess I was tired, but not tired enough to sleep well on the plane.
But three hours was enough to be productive the next day. |
04-Jun-03
DL 21 - Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Atlanta Hartsfield (ATL)
Pre
Flight Information |
I was traveling on business with
my boss and the group's director. We had been attending meetings in
Paris, which ended earlier in the day. After some confusion about
the appropriate check-in locations, we received our boarding cards from
the Economy Class check-in locations. Clearing passport and
customs control were simple. CDG Terminal 2 is a nice facility with
some shopping. It is light and airy, which provides a welcome change
to the drab of Atlanta Hartsfield. Since we were in the
BusinessElite cabin, an invitation to the L'Espace Affaires lounge was
extended to us. The lounge was located on the lower level,
accessible by an escalator outside gate C83. The lounge provides a
nice respite from the hustle-and-bustle of the airport. Boarding
was relatively simple. There were some security formalities, but
nothing out of the ordinary. |
Operational
Information |
Aircraft
tail number |
N175DL (B767-300ER) |
Frequent-flyer
distance |
4394
miles |
Times |
Departure |
Arrival |
Schedule |
13.55 |
Schedule |
17.40 |
Board
aircraft |
13.14 |
Landing |
17.33 |
Door
close |
14.00 |
Gate
arrival |
17.43 |
Gate
departure |
14.05 |
Door
open |
17.45 |
Takeoff |
14.28 |
Disembark |
14.46 |
Routing
|
Depart CDG to the west and proceed
just east of Amiens. Pass over London, just south of Manchester (UK)
and Belfast to the North Atlantic. The routing is about 300 miles
south of Reykjavik. Enter Canada about 300 miles east of Goose Bay,
Newfoundland. Travel down the Saint Lawrence Seaway to south of
Sept-îles to Quebec City. |
Service
Information |
I was sitting at seat 6G in the
BusinessElite cabin. The service provided by the cabin crew was
excellent, probably my best transatlantic experience in the past three
weeks - I had flown two roundtrips over the Atlantic in a three week
period.
There were two meal services - lunch and an afternoon snack. The
lunch service began about 45 minutes after departure and it was served in
several courses.
- The first course included an appetizer and salad. The
appetizer was "poached shrimp with grilled artichoke, asparagus
and a cherry tomato, complemented by a cocktail sauce". I
have a thing about not eating shellfish on the plane, so I did not
taste this course. The salad was "baby spinach leaves and
Belgian endive with tomatoes and toasted almonds, offered with
balsamic Dijon vinaigrette or creamy Parmesan peppercorn
dressing". I selected the balsamic Dijon vinaigrette, which
was quite tasty.
- There were four selections for the main course. I selected the
second option, which was quite tasty.
- Pan-roasted South American tenderloin of beef enhanced by
chanterelle mushroom sauce, served with green beans, herb mashed
potatoes and julienned carrots.
- Herb-grilled breast of chicken with creamy Riesling wine sauce,
accompanied by buttered noodles and a medley of red bell peppers,
sautéed button mushrooms and blanched green beans.
- Saffron risotto tossed with a tomato, zucchini and green bell
pepper medley. Grilled Atlantic salmon may be added to this
entrée.
- Shrimp bisque consisting of shrimp in a seafood broth blended
with cream, sherry and pepper, garnished with scallions.
- Cheeses and dessert were served from a trolley passing through
cabin. There were three cheese types, including Rocquefort and
two other white cheeses. Dessert was an ice cream sundae with
choice of toppings - caramel, chocolate, strawberry, nuts and/or
whipped cream. Coffee and tea were also available.
The snack consisted of fresh fruit, a deep-dish pizza with red pepper
tomato sauce and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, and the same salad
offered with lunch. To finish, warm cookies were offered.
Yummy! |

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|
Salad
and appetizer |
Lunch |

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|
Dessert |
Snack |
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