France 2023

Alaska Airlines Flight 1294

My trip begins with a familiar domestic hop from Portland International Airport (PDX) to Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR). Alaska has largely replaced JetBlue as my "go to" airline since I moved to Portland.

Although I didn't have time to stop and grab a photo, I spotted one of Alaska's special livery aircraft -- the "Seattle Kraken" Boeing 737-9 MAX (N915AK) -- at a nearby gate as I passed down the concourse. The plane for my own flight was N409AS, a Boeing 737-990ER. Google-fu says she was built in 2013, making her average for Alaska's 79 aircraft of the type. Takeoff was delayed by thirty minutes waiting for a replacement flight crew, but otherwise uneventful.

Pasadena, California

The 12th is pretty much just a "buffer day" to ensure that any flight delays on my Portland-to-Burbank flight don't make it impossible to catch my subsequent international flight.

Los Angeles International Airport

I haven't been to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) since I was a little kid, since my family didn't travel much and traffic makes it more convenient to fly via Burbank (BUR) or Long Beach (LGB) even though they are a little further away. Nonetheless, I distinctly remember the audio loop that used to play continously over the airport-wide PA system and airport radio broadcast, particularly the bit about the "Tom Bradley International Terminal". It's been replaced by a set of new PA loop recordings done by local celebrities; Google-fu says those were introduced in 2019 as a prelude to the ongoing major renovation. Google-fu also says that the growth of Dubai has pushed LAX down to "only" being the sixth busiest airport in the world, although it remains the world's busiest airport for origin and destination as opposed to connection.

Somewhat ironically, Burbank was the dominant airport in the region back in 1928 when Los Angeles built "Mines Field", along with Glendale's now defunct Grand Central Airport. The city had hoped to steal passenger airline traffic away from the established airports, but failed to attract any passenger routes at all until 1946. Los Angeles only became the dominant airport in the region in the 1970s, primarily because its ambitious 1956 expansion meant that it could handle Boeing 747 jumbo jets and Burbank couldn't.

It takes thirty minutes from arriving at the airport to actually reach the curbside dropoff for the Tom Bradley International Terminal (which is fast for LAX!), thirty-five minutes to check in and pass security, and then another fifteen minutes at a brisk walk to reach Gate 221. Our flight leaves from LAX's new expansion concourse, located "behind" the international terminal and accessed via an underground passage which runs under the tarmac.

Air Tahiti Nui Flight TN8

Air Tahiti Nui is French Polynesia's tiny but proud flag carrier, operating a fleet of four brand new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner widebody jets: Fakarava (F-OMUA), Tupaia (F-ONUI), Bora Bora (F-OVAA), and Tetiaroa (F-OTOA). The flight I'll be on is their primary international route from Aéroport de Tahiti-Faaa (PPT) to Aeroport de Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), with a stopover at Los Angeles International Airport. This flight hits a lot of firsts for me -- first overseas flight, first overnight flight, first non-coach flight, and first flight on an operational Dreamliner.

Tupaia was waiting for us at the gate when we arrived, and her sister Bora Bora was just pushing back from an adjacent gate for the opposite leg of the route. Once on board, I noted that the Dreamliner's engines didn't become noticeable until they were throttled up for taxi and then takeoff; while at idle, they were actually quieter than the plane's air conditioning. The fancy Zenith Z535 seats for premium economy are definitely a big step up for domestic coach; while they aren't lay flats, they recline like an armchair and also have a legrest and footrest, plus a much nicer tray table that flips out from the inner armrest. The seat USB ports don't appear to be working, but this is no big deal since the seat power outlets do work.

Takeoff was naturally a bit ponderous due to the size and heavy load of the aircraft, but flight is perceptibly smoother and quieter than on a 737 or A320. As is typical for all airports directly on the Pacific coast, Service begins while the aircraft is still climbing towards cruise, and the cabin crew is much more proactive than I've experienced on other flights, passing through the cabin regularly in addition to responding to calls. The integrated entertainment system is much fancier than Alaska or JetBlue runs; of particular note is the flight monitoring mode, which displays the aircraft's location and course on a 3D globe that can be freely panned and zoomed, or can display virtual cockpit and exterior views.

At 1500, lunch is served with two entree choices: teriyaki chicken with rice or beef bourguignon and mashed potatoes. The sides are a Vietnamese chicken salad, a roll of bread, a slice of cheddar cheese, and a Valrhona chocolate brownie. I opt for the beef and find it both delicious and surprisingly filling. We're now well over Utah, flying over snow-capped mountains south of Yellowstone. Even though it's pretty early, most passengers dim their windows and rest once they're done eating.

At 1700, we have edged north across the Canadian border and are approaching Hudson Bay, about a third of the way through our flight. The northern skies are totally clear and the ground clearly visible even from this high, but there's little to see but snow on the land and ice on the bay. The day fades fast as we fly away from the sun, and we speed on into the night at X knots, Angels 18 (1085 km/hr, 11275 metres).

At approximately 1845, we go "feet wet" over the Atlantic Ocean. We have now crossed the entire North American continent, with a roughly equal distance to go across the ocean. Unfortunately, it's now too dark to see anything other than the aircraft's blinking fuselage light reflecting off the side of the engine nacelle. Speed and altitude are now 500 knots, Angels 20 (920 km/h, 11887 metres).

From approximately 1930 to 2000, we pass south of Greenland. The course track shows that we turned a few degrees north after clearing the coast, then returned to our previous base course of 88 degrees.

At approximately 2120, we climb from 39K feet to 41K feet, with speed increasing to 540 knots and heading shifting to 110 degrees. While the fasten seatbelt sign remains off, the flight is noticeably rougher for a short while after the climb.

At approximately 2200, breakfast is served (dinner having, essentially, been skipped by all the time zones we've sped through). The sky outside is starting to light just enough to see the clouds.

At approximately 2205, we reach the Irish coast just as the sun rises. . . and it takes all of fifteen minutes to go clear across Ireland to St. George's Channel, which we can't actually see through a dense cloud layer. Our speed comes back down a bit to 520 knots, and heading shifts to 125 degrees; the course track confirms that we are actually veering significantly south, not just adjusting for wind currents.

At approximately 2235, we reach England. The coast is faintly and intermittently visible, but the cloud layer quickly thickens and remains that way throughout our crossing. Our heading turns further south to 140 degrees, slanting southeast directly over Birmingham and then Hastings.

We begin our final descent at 2250 and start across the English Channel around 2255, although the clouds makes it impossible to actually see anything. England is, all in all, uncooperative.

At 2303, we reach France. To my joy, the clouds clear just enough to see the coast as we cross, although they close back up afterwards. Course 150, speed 375 knots, still descending steadily until we reach 11,000 feet at 2310. We're now under the cloud layer, although visibility is limited by additional clouds at lower altitude.

At approximately 2331, we land in Paris. The airplane windows almost immediately fog over, and we don't finish taxiing to a gate until 2345. . . which is now 0845 since phone signal resumes and the time zone auto-updates.