WillFlyToDisney
05-20-2005, 12:36 AM
Whew. Home finally for a week or 2 (I think) before heading out again. Here is the trip report from way too many flights in way too few days (this stuff wears you out!).
Trip 1 - 47 minute flight on an MD-88
Delta had cancelled my original flight so I rescheduled my connection to avoid a lengthy (3 1/2 hours!) layover in ATL. I take my seat in first class (thanks to an upgrade) at the bulkhead window and chat with my seatmate for most of the flight. Turns out he is retired from the Army and he was a Jump Instructor at the Airborne school in Fort Benning when my friend Eddie went thru (small world, huh??). On approach I remembered why I am not a fan of sitting that close to the front of the plane when the nausea hit me big time - the strong winds causing the plane to sway back and forth on descent didnt help AT ALL and I was glad to be on the ground with my stomach intact.
Trip 2 - 37 minute flight on an MD-88
Most of this flight was smooth as silk (few bumpity bumps over the mountains) and I reminded myself how thankful I was not to be DRIVING over those mountains. There is one super scary mountain to drive over between Atlanta and Nashville called Monteagle and I would MUCH rather view it from the air then from the ground. I landed just 18 minutes before one of the boys that was also flying back to Nash from Charleston but on a different airline and thru a different airport that had also left him delayed - weird how that works. We hit the ground and drove straight to the venue (ick - I always want to shower when I get off planes and I didnt have time).
Trip 3 - 1 hour 45 minute flight on a DC-9. First off let me say that I love Delta. They aren't perfect but they are mine and I am quite well versed in their quirks and habits so I function well in the comfort of flying with them. I arrived for my 650am flight at the airport about 45 minutes before my flight on another airline that shall remain nameless (NORTHWEST) and saw a HUGE line at the NWA check in counter. Why? THERE ARE ONLY THREE electronic check in kiosks for 2 flights leaving close to the same time (say about 350 passengers between the 2 flights). Every other airline had a few people in line - Delta (with their 20 kiosks) had NO LINE and boy did I wish I was flying with them. 30 minutes in the check in line and the kiosk wont let me check in because it is less than 20 mins from departure so I had to wait for a ticket agent to manually print my boarding pass. A very flustered ticket agent named Mary literally YELLED at me that I should have been there 30 mins before my flight. I told her I WAS THERE 30 mins before my flight and had to stand in this stupid line. She gave me my pass and told me snippily that they wouldnt hold the plane for me. 20 minutes later I am thru the long security line and rushing to the gate to see no plane. The gate agent said they pushed back 10 minutes ago. I was beyond livid. First of all I am NOT a morning person then I had to deal with an airline that doesnt care to upgrade their facilities..... grrrrr..... The gate agent was sympathetic and he rebooked me for the next flight out - 2 hours later - and I set off in search of a Starbucks. The takeoff on the DC-9 seemed to take longer than that of the MD-88 but soon enough we were airborne. Another smooth ride with a little light chop in some spots but nothing really bad.
Flight 4 - 1 hour 45 minutes on a CRJ (40 seater). Ah, airports under construction. What could be more fun than sitting on the floor (because there are no chairs) waiting on your flight.... This flight was oversold and I was really tempted to take the offer of a free RT for a later date but I wasnt feeling well and had already spent an extra 2 hours in airports thanks to Mary at NWA so the thought of another 8 hours with no chair wasnt quite worth a free RT.... Another mostly smooth flight except for more swaying on landing - where the heck is all this wind coming from lately??
Next report coming in a bit...
Trip 1 - 47 minute flight on an MD-88
Delta had cancelled my original flight so I rescheduled my connection to avoid a lengthy (3 1/2 hours!) layover in ATL. I take my seat in first class (thanks to an upgrade) at the bulkhead window and chat with my seatmate for most of the flight. Turns out he is retired from the Army and he was a Jump Instructor at the Airborne school in Fort Benning when my friend Eddie went thru (small world, huh??). On approach I remembered why I am not a fan of sitting that close to the front of the plane when the nausea hit me big time - the strong winds causing the plane to sway back and forth on descent didnt help AT ALL and I was glad to be on the ground with my stomach intact.
Trip 2 - 37 minute flight on an MD-88
Most of this flight was smooth as silk (few bumpity bumps over the mountains) and I reminded myself how thankful I was not to be DRIVING over those mountains. There is one super scary mountain to drive over between Atlanta and Nashville called Monteagle and I would MUCH rather view it from the air then from the ground. I landed just 18 minutes before one of the boys that was also flying back to Nash from Charleston but on a different airline and thru a different airport that had also left him delayed - weird how that works. We hit the ground and drove straight to the venue (ick - I always want to shower when I get off planes and I didnt have time).
Trip 3 - 1 hour 45 minute flight on a DC-9. First off let me say that I love Delta. They aren't perfect but they are mine and I am quite well versed in their quirks and habits so I function well in the comfort of flying with them. I arrived for my 650am flight at the airport about 45 minutes before my flight on another airline that shall remain nameless (NORTHWEST) and saw a HUGE line at the NWA check in counter. Why? THERE ARE ONLY THREE electronic check in kiosks for 2 flights leaving close to the same time (say about 350 passengers between the 2 flights). Every other airline had a few people in line - Delta (with their 20 kiosks) had NO LINE and boy did I wish I was flying with them. 30 minutes in the check in line and the kiosk wont let me check in because it is less than 20 mins from departure so I had to wait for a ticket agent to manually print my boarding pass. A very flustered ticket agent named Mary literally YELLED at me that I should have been there 30 mins before my flight. I told her I WAS THERE 30 mins before my flight and had to stand in this stupid line. She gave me my pass and told me snippily that they wouldnt hold the plane for me. 20 minutes later I am thru the long security line and rushing to the gate to see no plane. The gate agent said they pushed back 10 minutes ago. I was beyond livid. First of all I am NOT a morning person then I had to deal with an airline that doesnt care to upgrade their facilities..... grrrrr..... The gate agent was sympathetic and he rebooked me for the next flight out - 2 hours later - and I set off in search of a Starbucks. The takeoff on the DC-9 seemed to take longer than that of the MD-88 but soon enough we were airborne. Another smooth ride with a little light chop in some spots but nothing really bad.
Flight 4 - 1 hour 45 minutes on a CRJ (40 seater). Ah, airports under construction. What could be more fun than sitting on the floor (because there are no chairs) waiting on your flight.... This flight was oversold and I was really tempted to take the offer of a free RT for a later date but I wasnt feeling well and had already spent an extra 2 hours in airports thanks to Mary at NWA so the thought of another 8 hours with no chair wasnt quite worth a free RT.... Another mostly smooth flight except for more swaying on landing - where the heck is all this wind coming from lately??
Next report coming in a bit...