(Preface: please pardon the picture quality and quantity for this installment. I had too much caffeine for my own good and my phone died sometime before arriving at PDX. So bear with me, even if this becomes like an eightblack TR
Please look at the first review of Alaska on this report for some actual photos and comments about the flight
)
We arrived at PDX on time, and I (thankfully) got TSA-pre, although my travel companions didn't
. Because of this, we specifically went through the "D" concourse security, even though we would have to use the airside connector to the "A,B,C" concourse.
Before I delve into the TSA "experience," let me give a little background. I was traveling with family on this trip, and our family is known for being tricksters/competitive/grudge-holding, etc. So whilst at Powell's books, I stuck a sticker on my travel companion's back, and grabbed a second one for later. I told him about the first one in the rental car shuttle back to the terminal and faked "taking it off" while I put the second one on
. I hoped the TSA agent would inform him of this
.
So once again I get selected for a free massage
and I leisurely walked the airside connector, chatting with a Delta pilot, seeing no sign of my companions. Shortly after arriving at the gate, there was a gate change to across the hall. No problem at all. I waited another twenty minutes (as boarding began) and finally both my companions reappeared. I tried to contain my laughter as my friends explained the debacle the sticker caused. Apparently it set the machine off, and then the officer said, "Sir, you have a sticker on your back."
Boarding went smoothly, and when I heard them calling AA elites, I decided to see if I could fool them with my AA Gold Citi card (I really have no status) and it worked
. Gotta try that again on my next AS flight
.
Plane at the gate
Alaska 383
San Francisco (SFO) - Portland (PDX)
Thursday, June 18
Depart: 9:35PM, actual 10:05PM
Arrive: 11:36PM, actual 11:50PM
Duration: 1hr 44min
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Seat: assigned 7C (Economy), took 7D
Boarding was uneventful, except that I took an aisle seat on the wrong side of the aircraft, although the person in my seat didn't mind and sat in the "C" side seat. I struck up a conversation with the person next to me about Japan (she lived there) and everything went smoothly.
At this point, we're running about ten minutes late waiting for some late pax, nothing we can't make up in the air, right? During the safety demonstration, the plane violently skidded backwards into the alley, causing a flight attendant to stumble. The captain came on the PA, and "the pushback operator got a little excited while putting the cart from drive into neutral..."
"[some type of] pin is broken, so we're going to get that fixed and we'll be wheels up in thirty minutes."
Once we were airborne, the flight was uneventful. I drained a can of diet coke with lime (more caffeine) and read one of the many books we bought at Powell's. Landed on time but arrived at the gate thirty minutes late.
We parked next to two Cathay Pacific 777-300ER in a row (CX 873 and 893).
Cathay Heavies
We made our way out of the terminal and ran after the SkyPark shuttle. The front of the international terminal was lit in blue and gold celebrating the Warriors' victory! ^
Go Warriors!
We ended up getting home around 12:45am, at which point I booked another trip, more details in the works after my upcoming Chicago TR...
Thank you everyone for making it this far!