Atlas Air

[Hawaiidan]

Thats the military config for troop deployment.....not going to be fun:eek:

[ayrhead]

We are flying in from Toronto. When I phoned Oceania they said that we will have to pick up our bags and then transfer to the Tom Bradley International terminal where Atlas will be located. She also said that there will be Oceania reps there to guide us through.

 

I was also told that the plane is a 3-4-3 configuration and there are aprox 450 seats. I asked for the specs on the plane and was told there are 17-20 rows for first class and 60ish rows total. I apologize for the estimates but I lost my sheet with the exact numbers that she gave me. :o

 

Leaving Toronto at 8:10 on April 7?

[cutiepie43]

Leaving Toronto at 8:10 on April 7?

We are on the 18th of April Tahiti to Lima.

[Hawaiidan]

The 747s in use by Atlas, according to Boeing can be fitted with between 550 and 565 coach seats......

[GJH123]

We were on the Tahitian Breeze cruise beginning January 16 and concluding January 27th. We were on Air Tahiti Nui both ways. We arrived at LAX via US Air and walked about 2-3 blocks to Tom Bradley International terminal. Our bags had been checked through from the point of origin. There were Oceania representatives awaiting with large carts at the domestic terminal to collect bags that were not checked through. We arrived in Papeete about 7:30 p.m. We had arranged private transport, but there were taxis available.

The next day we talked to some folks who had flown in on Atlas. They didn't arrive until 11:30 (scheduled to be there at 8:30) or so because check-in was by hand(no computers) and the flight was delayed for quite a while. Oceania gave them OBC as compensation for the delay. Hopefully, that situation has been remedied.

Credit Oceania with stepping up to the plate for something that was not really their fault. Lesson learned--don't assume anything!

It's a long flight in coach with whatever airline you fly.

[Hawaiidan]

I was wrong, I checked with Atlas and , check this, the have 2, 747-400 that are all coach config at 476 pax per plane For a major turn at PPT on a 1200 pax ship I might suspect they will use 2 aircraft from LAX.

Thats ALL coach at 32 inch pitch.. They have been using these to ferry troops to east and west They also operate as Polar Air.

 

The terms of the wet lease for this operation is a outstanding value for the company. ( well I would like it) and It get the benifit for my cruise I am more than happy as it would have cost me $2800+ to fly from Hawaii to Tahiti

[no fuss travel]

I am giving information on heresay from other passengers who flew Atlas to join our cruise on February 7th. The Economy passengers sang Atlas praises as the plane was not full and there was enough empty seats so that people could stretch out. Food was good for airline food. Now the complaints came from those flying Business. They said that the seats were broken and very uncomfortable and the food was not that great. Guess the people in economy got the break and those flying business class did not.:rolleyes:

[Hawaiidan]

Atlas has 2 , 747-400's and 2, 767-300's Those are the only option

Look up Atlas Air in Wiki and it gives you a breakdown of all their cargo and passenger planes

[ayrhead]

I was advised we were on a Boeing 744?

[eddmel]

Boeing 744 = Boeing 747-400

[cutiepie43]

400 and allcoach

 

There has to be business class because I just got an offer today to upgrade to business class from LAX to PPT for $799pp.

[Hawaiidan]

My friend Spook over in Honolulu, advised that the business class will be on Tahiti Nui for $800pp ( ok $799) Since regular fare is about $ 4700 thats a hot deal.

 

I would suspect they will fill the 747-400 with all 476 souls and then have the extras on a block, including business up grades with Tahiti Nui.

 

Its a 1200 pax ship and say 800 getting on and with say 200 doing air devations that leaves 600 ; 476 on Atlas coach , 225 on Tahit Nui.

 

Mind you thats my guess... I will be interested to see what evolves as I am on the same cruise in 2014

 

I have done this flight before in both coach and first... It is very long. I already have my $799 in hand for 2014. Arriving firing on all cylinders .4.0, is worth that and much more.

[spindrift]

Regarding your luggage, just be aware that you could have to pay double (or more than double in our case) even tho your luggage is checked all the way to Papeete.

 

O put us on American out of Houston. We paid for a 3rd bag $55.00. We were told to pick up our boarding passes for Air Tahiti Nui at LAX. We had a 7 hour (unnecessary layover by the way). When the desks opened at Air Tahiti Nui, we had to show our luggage tag receipts verifying their having been checked all the way thru to Papeete.

 

THEN, they would not issue our boarding passes until we paid an additional $75 to them for the 3rd bag. We told them we paid American in Houston, and we showed the receipt. They said they needed a "coupon" from American or we would have to pay. Never heard of a "coupon," nor had about 30 or 40 other people who also had to pay again. :mad:

 

Of course I contacted American upon my return and their reply was they are not responsible for other airline charges (even tho they are partners). They knew nothing about a "coupon."

 

Just a warning to you in hopes you will not be ripped off. $(A total of $130 for your 3rd bag).

[JamesD263]

Atlas air does have a business class section on the Oceania charter we are on to Papeete on 4/18/13. just Booked it today for $799 pp. Got the Last 2 seats After Getting Email offer from Oceania this AM. Let's hope they fix the seats!

[Hawaiidan]

Atlas air does have a business class section on the Oceania charter we are on to Papeete on 4/18/13. just Booked it today for $799 pp. Got the Last 2 seats After Getting Email offer from Oceania this AM. Let's hope they fix the seats!

 

Thats interesting...because Atlas quotes their aircraft are all coach.. but it would be a nice suprise I do know that some of the business class seats they are selling are on Tahiti Nui , however. ( with the potential to have to move 1000 people thats going to require 2 maxed out 747-400 + 100 on an other carrier)

 

Please send the seat specs ( width, pitch and how far they recline) I am on the 2014 cruise.....

Thanks

[Floridiana]

Questions for the Canadians: If you fly into the US and then continue your flight within the US on a different plane, don't you always have to pick up your luggage in the first port of entry, take it through customs and then put it back to the airline directly behind customs? That's what my European friends tell me they have to do.

[potterhill]

When we fly to US from Toronto, we clear customs at checkin, and then it's all done. Don't know if they do this in other airports.

 

Mo

[no fuss travel]

From an international country to Toronto, you clear customs, pick up your luggage, deposit it right after so that it can continue on its way and then go through US customs.

[Hawaiidan]

Vancouver has no "in transit" section like other international airports, If you pass through Vancouver in transit ( ie, changing planes to continue onward any where) they will force you to go through immigration, customs and then your luggage must them be re-checked by going through the entire check in procedure as though you had never flown. There is no bag drop to re check...none

 

I was on a UAL flight from Hawaii to Seattle that got routed through Vancouver ( change planes... no stop over) to Seattle. I found out the hard way why they gave me a 4 hour connection time. It took 3 hours to go through all this

If you are flying say US to Asia with a connection in Vancouver, be prepared for this very irritating and strange set up.

[Louby-Lou]

Vancouver has no "in transit" section like other international airports, If you pass through Vancouver in transit ( ie, changing planes to continue onward any where) they will force you to go through immigration, customs and then your luggage must them be re-checked by going through the entire check in procedure as though you had never flown.

 

Isn't it the same at US airports for foreign travelers 'in transit'.

[Hawaiidan]

In the USA, Asia or Europe. Flying from Europe to JFK, ORD, LAX , SFO for example and continuing onward I go through customs only and put my bag on a belt in baggage claim which rechecks it without having to exit the secure/ security area .

 

This is not the case in Vancouver where you have to exit the airport secure area and then re-check you bag up stairs at the main counter as though you were never on a flight. Then re go through security, baggage check, the whole works... It is and was the most irritating/frustrating airport I have yet seen, and after 30+ years and millions of miles .

[TravelerThom]

... Flying from Europe to JFK, ORD, LAX , SFO for example and continuing onward I go through customs only and put my bag on a belt in baggage claim which rechecks it without having to exit the secure/ security area...

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but if this is a claim that YOU don't have to reclear security, I find that hard to believe. You are required to take physical control of all your baggage in US Customs and therefore have access any and all items in your checked luggage, many of which may not be allowed as carry-ons. Yes, you can immediately recheck your bags after you exit customs, but you and your carry-ons are dumped out of the secure area and required to again clear security in every international arriving US airport I've seen.

 

Thom

[Hawaiidan]

That in Vancouver, there is no "re-check" in the baggage claim un like other airports. And that you and your baggage both carryon and checked bags end up on the street and have to go back into the terminal, a floor higher, stand in line as though you were just checking in. They even issued new baggage tags for me. This effectively doubles the effort to change planes. There is too a total lack of signage and this complicates the situation along with the arrogant and outright insulting immigration guys. ( an I have seen quite a few from Soviet Russia to Kuala Lumpur in my travels) , in fact if you look up "jerk" in dictionaly it probably has their pictures.

 

And that or rather this is the only airport I have ever seen suck a cluster F in my life

[Mura]

We did a China riverboat on Viking in May 2008 and went through Vancouver (we're in NYC).

 

My recollection is that we did have to collect our luggage in Vancouver and then go through U.S. customs in Vancouver. It wasn't a bad process to do so. I don't recall HawaiiDan's experience of having to upstairs to another floor, for example, which we DID have to do on a recent flight from Istanbul to JFK on Lufthansa (interim stop in Munich).

 

And once through, I think they took our luggage to the aircraft. I don't recall the finer details here, although we were on two Air Canada flights which might have simplified things. My diary ended at Shanghai so it revealed no details. I do think I need to make it a point in the future to finish the diary up to our return home before I forget what happened at the end!

 

2008 was a few years ago ... And we were in business class. I don't know if that was a factor but I would think it should NOT have been.

 

Mura

[no fuss travel]

On our flight from Sydney, Australia, the US flights were pulled separately from the rest of the plane and they were directed to US customs as a group and did not have to clear Canadian customs. There was an airport worker looking for US connections, who gathered up everyone and took them to US immigration bypassing Canadian immigration.

 

I have yet to manage to have my luggage booked straight through if I fly through the US to Canada without having to claim my luggage, go through US immigration, and then have to recheck my luggage and clear security again. It is no different for Canadian citizens than what Hawaiidan encountered in Vancouver when they go into US airports from an international country.