Newcott Blog

I received this today, unsolicitied, for our troubles on Monday.   Am I ready to prefer AA for my next flight?  Not exactly.  But I respect that they're making an effort, and will fly with them again.  They get an A for promptness and owning-up.

November 30, 2006

Dear Mr. Newcott:

We know you and all our other customers aboard flight 1053 on November 27 must have been upset by the sequence of events that occurred.  There is no question that this situation was unsettling (to say the least) and we are sorry for any apprehension you may have experienced.

I'm sure you already know, but while en route to Orange County, our cockpit crew became concerned with the possibility of low oil in the aircraft's right-hand engine. As a result, our captain requested a diversion to Phoenix so our specialists could take a look at the situation.

In appreciation for your patience during that difficult situation, I've added 12,000 Customer Service bonus miles to your AAdvantage® account.  You should see this mileage adjustment in your account very soon.  For your convenience, you can view your account online via http://www.aa.com/aadvantage . . . We'll do our best to provide a smooth trip the next time you fly with us.  We will look forward to the opportunity.

Sincerely,

B. J. Russell
Customer Relations
American Airlines

Bronwen and I have started a great tradition:  Takeout Tuesdays.  Since Summer we have celebrated this joyous occasion in which someone else makes the food, we pick it up, and eat it at home.  We found a great Thai place in Costa Mesa — Bangkok Corner.  When the days were long enough, we would ride our bikes over there with Silas in the Baby Bjorn.  I get the Pad Thai and Bronwen gets Panang Curry.  Tonight, it was Nick's Pizza, another great Costa Mesa spot.  We split a small cheese pizza, garden salad, and butternut squash ravioli. 

On Champagne Thursdays we invite friends over for cocktails before dinner — and usually a bottle of cheap champagne, as the name implies.  Bronwen saw it on a movie and we put it into practice.  We have two neighbor couples in our complex who join us.  Trick is to get Silas bathed and in bed by 6:30 so we're free.

Thanksgiving 2006 involved flying back to DC with Bronwen and Silas.  We stayed with Iah and Papa Newcott, but celebrated with both families at the Moyers'.  It was a fun day and meal.  But by the evening I was sick with the Flu and would stay that way until the end.  Too bad too, because the weather in DC was perfectly crisp.  I rallied on Sunday for the Skins.  We even did the tailgating thing.  We made the mistake of parking next to a group of frat guys that had been there since early morning.  At one point, two dudes were relieving themselves in the door crack of their pickup.  Luckily the river of beer-pee flowed downhill away from us.  But I guess that's what you can expect from tailgaters.  We stuck to a few beers and hotdogs cooked on a single-use hibachi.  I basically spent the whole trip sick and only started feeling better today.

The biggest event of the trip came during our return trip to California.  3/4 of the way back to Orange County on American Airlines, the pilot made an announcement that "we need to land immediately in Phoenix, the situation is stable, flight attendants prepare for immediate landing."  I thought, I've never been through this.  Bronwen and Silas were with me, so we might all be dying together.  Is that good or bad?  The engines sound and look okay.  Why aren't they saying anything?  In 15 minutes we were on the ground.  When getting off, I heard the captain say that by the time we landed, the right engine on our 20 year old Boeing 737 was only operating at 19%.  We had to sit in the airport until 6pm for a flight to Orange County - but we were alive.  So, I was in mixed spirits.  What a disaster.  New travel rule:  Only take direct flights on airlines with new fleets.