jimcfsus
May 30, 07, 4:19 pm
5/22
PI 4245 - ROA-CLT Dash 8-300
Ontime departure. FA was a 20+ year vet of express, 19 years based at ORF. 39 minute flight, she did an express beverage... except she had no ice left from the previous FA. So, warm drinks all around. 10 minute early arrival to CLT.
US 1509 - CLT-PHX A321 UNCONFIGURED!
Yes, big FC. Lots of room. So, because of that, we were late departing sorting out seats and boarding 8 standbys. A very Ma and Pa crowd, even in FC. I'd say maybe a half dozen biz types in the front, not including the upcoming mystery guest in 4D.
There are a few pen marks on the seatback ahead of me... not enough to call art, however.
No preflight beverage, but there were water bottles left at each seat... my row had a bonus, a partially full bottle on the floor between the seats.
I'm in 3C... and who gets on board while they were finishing clearing the standbys sitting in 4D? DP! Yes, DP! I was now aboard "Doug1"! ;)
DP continues to use his crackberry on the taxi out... isn't that an FAA violation? He also looked like death warmed over. I'd swear he pulled an all nighter. He fell asleep after takeoff, and ate his lunch (the hot one) while they are giving out Pecan Pie (no mention of 4pts though).
Lunch choices were the hot chicken/bowtie pasta or the cold chicken plate. I took the hot and it was decent. Passed on the pie. DP drank Diet Coke (at least 2).
After the movie, the A came around with snack basket which included the regular Biscoffs. HELLO... can you say this makes up for the Pecan Pie that I can't eat?
Didn't get a CC speech until 30 min before landing. Overheard the B say they had 8 people turn in apps. Suckers!
Thanks to being on Doug 1, we got in 9 minutes early which isn't bad given we were over 20 minutes delayed on departure (according to flightstats).
HP 519 PHX-LAS West 737-300
Clean plane, but I don't like the HP blue seat color in coach.
FC has 2 rows, no closet, so it felt like being on an express flight with row 1 across from the FAs. Light load, FC was full at 8, but I heard only 37 or so in Y. FC was not a Ma and Pa crew like the 321. If you include me, 6 of the 8 were biz types.
Got pre-departure beverage. The A FA was a 20+ year vet of HP. Super service. Once in the air, we got drinks, refill options and two passes of the snack basket on a 49 min flight.
Speaking of snack basket, contents were the same as on the US 321... Cape Cods, granola bars, Biscoffs (regular, not chocolate), and cashew mix (I think I'm missing something).
I was in 2C... pax in 1C reclined seat and my knees were about an inch from the seat back. I could only imagine what someone tall would have experienced.
Captain warned of turbulance on the decent, so they prepared the cabin for landing earlier than usual. There were a few bumps, but nothing like they were expecting. We landed a few minutes early.
No CC hawking, no trivia video (no video on the aircraft, yet there were little LCD video screens across from 1D and 1F).
5/23
LAS-PHX HP 215 737-300, weird plane.
Incoming was over an hour late coming in from PHX. We were about an hour late departing.
Weird, meaning there was no air vents on the plane. Luckily it wasn't as stuffy as it could be. Last plane I remember with no vent (at least at one seat) was a 767 I took CLT-LAX in FC in 1993. The middle seat in row 2 in the 2-1-2 config had no airvent. Talk about a long hot flight. I digress...
Full boat, fairly quick turnaround however. We left gate about 8:15. No pre-departure drink (or even water bottles)... and I was parched. I refused to pay $3 for a bottle of water (or worse for other stuff) in LAS.
So, we got in the air, and the A FA starts getting her cart ready like she's doing coach. She then goes to row 1 and serves it coach style.. she gives each one exactly one pack of snack mix followed by drink in party cup. She gets to row 2 (I'm in 2D)... guys on the left get Diet Coke, and ask for the can. I ask for vodka/tomato and she mixes it for me, barely giving me half a mini. Guy next to me was passed out. So she then continues to Y and serves them. I didn't think she'd come back. She finally did, after I had finished my drink, tons of ice and all (I told you I was parched). She did ask if she could "freshen it up"... she ended up mixing me another one, opening another bottle of vodka (I have no idea where the original bottle ended up... I know she didn't use the full thing the first time around). She did finally pass around the snack basket. I wish I knew now what I know getting to PHX... I would have had more. This is a prime example of the service inconsistencies we have on this airline... even with the HP division. You west folks might not see this as a problem, but it's this type of service that will drive the East folks away (esp. if it comes East).
Anyway, one last comment... the A FA was hot, even though she wouldn't let me get smashed. Blonde and legs up to... :) Oh yeah, almost forgot, no CC selling here either. Must be an East thing.
We finally get to PHX. I figure with about 2 hours before my flight, I'd have time to grab a bite. Well, that would be good, if anywhere was open. The one bar that had food had their kitchen closed too. Luckily I have a loaf of sourdough bread in my one carry on (thank you for shopping at Trader Joes), so I had something to eat to take meds... but it wasn't a "meal" like I hoped for. (I know, can't blame DP for this one, but seriously, the airport authority should know people flying redeyes might not have eaten dinner... US won't provide anything anymore)
US 1550 PHX-CLT redeye - UNCONFIGURED A321!!
I must have had the 321 gods looking out for me as I got the big FCs both ways. Full flight, all 26 filled up front, too. No predeparture drinks, but the A did hand out water bottles.
Very uneventful flight (which means a good thing on a redeye if you're trying to sleep). FA did quick drink/snack basket pass shortly after reaching 10K, then left everyone alone. Guy in the row behind me wouldn't shut up for the first hour, so it took me a little longer to pass out after my Baileys on the rocks. Woke up about 40 minutes before we landed and just catnapped to touchdown. Arrived at the gate 20 minutes early.
Forgot one thing... we got the CC hardsell before we even left the gate, since it was a redeye.
Made my way from the end of B to the *$ at the top of E. After getting cleaned up and refreshed, I got a vente iced coffee, went to my next gate and tried to connect to the CLT wifi... which wouldn't let me connect. Oh well.
US 4058 CLT-ROA Air Whiskey CRJ
Another uneventful flight. FA was very young, but nice. We left a bit early and got in the air for our 29 minute flight. She did one of those "we'll do special requests" drink services which turned into her going around and asking the about 40% full flight what they wanted. Landed about 10 minutes early. As much as people complain about the CRJ flights, I've had good luck with the AW ones... I'd rather take them than Mesa's. Granted, the CR-65 version isn't the best, but their service makes up for that on a 40 minute flight.
Bags came out fast... faster than me being able to do the email check I couldn't do in CLT.
My only complaint about ROA was the lack of service on their parking shuttle. I waited a few minutes, and the driver just stopped in the lot... never looked to see that someone was waiting at the terminal. So I decided to walk out to my car... in the next to last row of the lot. Oh well, not like I don't need the exercise.
PI 4245 - ROA-CLT Dash 8-300
Ontime departure. FA was a 20+ year vet of express, 19 years based at ORF. 39 minute flight, she did an express beverage... except she had no ice left from the previous FA. So, warm drinks all around. 10 minute early arrival to CLT.
US 1509 - CLT-PHX A321 UNCONFIGURED!
Yes, big FC. Lots of room. So, because of that, we were late departing sorting out seats and boarding 8 standbys. A very Ma and Pa crowd, even in FC. I'd say maybe a half dozen biz types in the front, not including the upcoming mystery guest in 4D.
There are a few pen marks on the seatback ahead of me... not enough to call art, however.
No preflight beverage, but there were water bottles left at each seat... my row had a bonus, a partially full bottle on the floor between the seats.
I'm in 3C... and who gets on board while they were finishing clearing the standbys sitting in 4D? DP! Yes, DP! I was now aboard "Doug1"! ;)
DP continues to use his crackberry on the taxi out... isn't that an FAA violation? He also looked like death warmed over. I'd swear he pulled an all nighter. He fell asleep after takeoff, and ate his lunch (the hot one) while they are giving out Pecan Pie (no mention of 4pts though).
Lunch choices were the hot chicken/bowtie pasta or the cold chicken plate. I took the hot and it was decent. Passed on the pie. DP drank Diet Coke (at least 2).
After the movie, the A came around with snack basket which included the regular Biscoffs. HELLO... can you say this makes up for the Pecan Pie that I can't eat?
Didn't get a CC speech until 30 min before landing. Overheard the B say they had 8 people turn in apps. Suckers!
Thanks to being on Doug 1, we got in 9 minutes early which isn't bad given we were over 20 minutes delayed on departure (according to flightstats).
HP 519 PHX-LAS West 737-300
Clean plane, but I don't like the HP blue seat color in coach.
FC has 2 rows, no closet, so it felt like being on an express flight with row 1 across from the FAs. Light load, FC was full at 8, but I heard only 37 or so in Y. FC was not a Ma and Pa crew like the 321. If you include me, 6 of the 8 were biz types.
Got pre-departure beverage. The A FA was a 20+ year vet of HP. Super service. Once in the air, we got drinks, refill options and two passes of the snack basket on a 49 min flight.
Speaking of snack basket, contents were the same as on the US 321... Cape Cods, granola bars, Biscoffs (regular, not chocolate), and cashew mix (I think I'm missing something).
I was in 2C... pax in 1C reclined seat and my knees were about an inch from the seat back. I could only imagine what someone tall would have experienced.
Captain warned of turbulance on the decent, so they prepared the cabin for landing earlier than usual. There were a few bumps, but nothing like they were expecting. We landed a few minutes early.
No CC hawking, no trivia video (no video on the aircraft, yet there were little LCD video screens across from 1D and 1F).
5/23
LAS-PHX HP 215 737-300, weird plane.
Incoming was over an hour late coming in from PHX. We were about an hour late departing.
Weird, meaning there was no air vents on the plane. Luckily it wasn't as stuffy as it could be. Last plane I remember with no vent (at least at one seat) was a 767 I took CLT-LAX in FC in 1993. The middle seat in row 2 in the 2-1-2 config had no airvent. Talk about a long hot flight. I digress...
Full boat, fairly quick turnaround however. We left gate about 8:15. No pre-departure drink (or even water bottles)... and I was parched. I refused to pay $3 for a bottle of water (or worse for other stuff) in LAS.
So, we got in the air, and the A FA starts getting her cart ready like she's doing coach. She then goes to row 1 and serves it coach style.. she gives each one exactly one pack of snack mix followed by drink in party cup. She gets to row 2 (I'm in 2D)... guys on the left get Diet Coke, and ask for the can. I ask for vodka/tomato and she mixes it for me, barely giving me half a mini. Guy next to me was passed out. So she then continues to Y and serves them. I didn't think she'd come back. She finally did, after I had finished my drink, tons of ice and all (I told you I was parched). She did ask if she could "freshen it up"... she ended up mixing me another one, opening another bottle of vodka (I have no idea where the original bottle ended up... I know she didn't use the full thing the first time around). She did finally pass around the snack basket. I wish I knew now what I know getting to PHX... I would have had more. This is a prime example of the service inconsistencies we have on this airline... even with the HP division. You west folks might not see this as a problem, but it's this type of service that will drive the East folks away (esp. if it comes East).
Anyway, one last comment... the A FA was hot, even though she wouldn't let me get smashed. Blonde and legs up to... :) Oh yeah, almost forgot, no CC selling here either. Must be an East thing.
We finally get to PHX. I figure with about 2 hours before my flight, I'd have time to grab a bite. Well, that would be good, if anywhere was open. The one bar that had food had their kitchen closed too. Luckily I have a loaf of sourdough bread in my one carry on (thank you for shopping at Trader Joes), so I had something to eat to take meds... but it wasn't a "meal" like I hoped for. (I know, can't blame DP for this one, but seriously, the airport authority should know people flying redeyes might not have eaten dinner... US won't provide anything anymore)
US 1550 PHX-CLT redeye - UNCONFIGURED A321!!
I must have had the 321 gods looking out for me as I got the big FCs both ways. Full flight, all 26 filled up front, too. No predeparture drinks, but the A did hand out water bottles.
Very uneventful flight (which means a good thing on a redeye if you're trying to sleep). FA did quick drink/snack basket pass shortly after reaching 10K, then left everyone alone. Guy in the row behind me wouldn't shut up for the first hour, so it took me a little longer to pass out after my Baileys on the rocks. Woke up about 40 minutes before we landed and just catnapped to touchdown. Arrived at the gate 20 minutes early.
Forgot one thing... we got the CC hardsell before we even left the gate, since it was a redeye.
Made my way from the end of B to the *$ at the top of E. After getting cleaned up and refreshed, I got a vente iced coffee, went to my next gate and tried to connect to the CLT wifi... which wouldn't let me connect. Oh well.
US 4058 CLT-ROA Air Whiskey CRJ
Another uneventful flight. FA was very young, but nice. We left a bit early and got in the air for our 29 minute flight. She did one of those "we'll do special requests" drink services which turned into her going around and asking the about 40% full flight what they wanted. Landed about 10 minutes early. As much as people complain about the CRJ flights, I've had good luck with the AW ones... I'd rather take them than Mesa's. Granted, the CR-65 version isn't the best, but their service makes up for that on a 40 minute flight.
Bags came out fast... faster than me being able to do the email check I couldn't do in CLT.
My only complaint about ROA was the lack of service on their parking shuttle. I waited a few minutes, and the driver just stopped in the lot... never looked to see that someone was waiting at the terminal. So I decided to walk out to my car... in the next to last row of the lot. Oh well, not like I don't need the exercise.