Even though it’s been open for several years now, it never ceases to amaze me how walking into the American Airlines terminal at JFK places the business traveler in an oasis of calm.
The design of the terminal, with its towering 65-foot roofline, reduces the stress of air travel and makes each departure seem exciting.  The new terminal replaces American’s two terminals (8 and 9) at JFK.  Terminal 8, which served international traffic, had been built in the early 1960s and sported what was once the world’s longest stained glass installation, …

After a pleasant (and very fast) drive in a BMW M3 from the Bay Area to Los Angeles and a few days of meetings there, I returned to New York via American Airlines Flight 22.  Similar to the outbound flight to San Francisco, once we hit 10,000 feet, I was able to turn on my Lenovo ThinkPad X300 and find several Gogo hotspots.
For most of the flight, I was able to surf the Web, watch videos, read news, send and receive e-mail, and even check the flight’s exact position.  I …

ON BOARD AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 15, 11:45 A.M. EDT
American Airlines was the first U.S. airline to announce in-flight Internet service for domestic flights. The first (test) phase of the American Airlines Gogo Internet service started in the middle of last year on the company’s fleet of 15 767-200 aircraft, which fly its transcontinental routes.
Recently, the company announced it will expand the service to over 300 domestic aircraft (the service doesn’t work over the Atlantic or Pacific oceans).
I am writing this from American Airlines Flight 15, New York (JFK) to San …

Arriving at London Heathrow’s Terminal 2, I found myself on the business class line with only one passenger ahead of me.  After waiting all of two minutes, I was quickly checked in by the agent, who offered to switch me to a window seat and block the aisle seat so I would have an entire row to myself.  He also invited me to wait in the Senator Lounge near my gate.
BOARDING
Approximately 20 minutes before departure, I arrived at the gate as boarding was just starting.  I was told that business-class …

A coffeehouse at 35,000 feet
Terminal 1 is the busy home to 16 airlines. I found Austrian’s check-in area quite easily and checked in without any waiting.  The agent invited me to visit Alitalia’s lounge, where I watched a Euro 2008 match with a glass of wine and a salad.
BOARDING
Austrian allowed early boarding for business class passengers and within minutes I was comfortably ensconced in my business class seat.  The crew was very welcoming and I was offered newspapers and a beverage as well as an amenity kit that contained a …

There were only two people in line for Business Class when I arrived at the Lufthansa counter at JFK’s Terminal 1 so my wait time was less than five minutes.  I was greeted warmly by the agent and, when she found out that I was not a member of the Miles and More mileage program, she immediately enrolled me.  She also issued my boarding pass and itinerary and directed me to the Senator Lounge, which, while comfortable, could use some updating as it hasn’t changed since the last time I …

I was unable to print my boarding pass from my home computer because the printer had run out of ink, so I had to check in at American’s new Terminal 8.  There was only one passenger ahead of me in the first class line so I waited all of two minutes.  The agent greeted me by name, directed me to the Admiral’s Club, and wished me a pleasant flight.
BOARDING
Our departure was scheduled for 6:10 p.m. and approximately half an hour before, we began boarding.  The gate areas in the new …

Check-in at JFK Terminal 8 was a breeze since American Airlines now allows international travelers to use self-service kiosks. The machine scans your passport and issues a boarding pass after a roving agent verifies your credentials.. This was probably my last Terminal 8 departure as that terminal will soon close. And I will certainly be sad to see it go in some respects, Terminal 8, built in the early 1960s, sports what was once the world’s longest stained glass installation, designed by the artist Robert Sower.
It was close to departure …