Well, this is probably the point where I lose all credability and my mental acuity is called into question...but this story also may raise some other questions.

Some of you may remember my new "thing" of handing Above And Beyond certs to US Air employees who are doing the bare minimum (as opposed to those who are actively disengaged).... A few weeks ago on the way to Dub Mrs. Space and I had an amazing old-school experience with Mike G in RIC, but I was out of AAB certs and I promised him I'd bring him one next time I saw him...

Last night I was heading RIC--XXX--ATL.... I'm 1/2 worn out from the weekend and 1/2 excited to get to really praise someone who deserves it... so I walk up to the Philly gate and give Mike G his AAB cert...good times... and I sit down. I'm thinking about my trip to Rome next week and how I'll be in Philly again... boarding is called, I get on... Its "First Lite" (EMB 190) and someone is in my seat. I ask if he prefers the aisle and he realizes he's in the wrong row...no biggie.

After the safety announcement the FA in "first lite" says "by the way, this door is perfectly fine, but the seal has an issue and it sounds loud during flight... Capitan comes on and says "...short flight to Philly"... and we start to take off. Philly he said? Wait, am I supposed to go through Philly?

D'OH! I'm on the wrong flight...10 seconds later we are in the air.
I spend the rest of the flight thinking about how I'm either going nuts or that I've flown one too many. Meanwhile that door sounds like a banshee crossed with a jet engine. I've never heard anything like that and if that FA had not said anything I'd have been quite worried.

So I get to Philly and go to Special Services. By this point it has also occurred to me they let me on the wrong flight...and scanned my boarding pass in the process. So I go to the desk and say "I am embarrassed to say that both the gate agent in RIC and I missed it, but I boarded the wrong flight...guess its bound to happen when you fly 100+ flights a year, right?"
The special services desk woman honestly looked worried...and apologized to me. It was an easy fix and they had an ATL flight headed out of the gate right next to the special services desk...great.

I get on that flight and there is the same FA from RIC. We sit on the ground for 2 hours and the captain finally says "ahhh folks, let me put this in a way we all understand, we've lost our gas cap...we can fly without it but we need to do the paper work". Another hour passes and he tells us that he's still waiting on the paper work. When we finally take off the door once again sounds like its wide open. I asked the FA why it didn't go to the hanger like he said it would, to which he responded "This is a different plane!!!!"

So that was my wacky night... just one question, how did US let me get on the wrong flight? Don't get me wrong, it was my mistake and I'm not mad (a little chagrin maybe)... but I am curious, doesn't that pose a security risk of some kind? How did I get lucky and get the only 1st (lite) seat on a sold out plane?

I can't answer your question but I do have 2 of my own: are you getting the miles and the extra segment for your extra flight? :)

I can't answer your question but I do have 2 of my own: are you getting the miles and the extra segment for your extra flight? :)


I was going to ask that same thing but you beat me to it.

I must say that this is one of the best posts I've read in a long time, Space Bass. Hey, everybody makes mistakes :D

bitburgr and b1513 - I wondered the same thing...can I get the points...then I though: something karmic feels wrong...two planes, two problems...wasn't supposed to be on either...I'll leave well enough alone :D
(can I milk this for an upgrade to Rome next week?...is that wrong?)

bitburgr and b1513 -(can I milk this for an upgrade to Rome next week?...is that wrong?)

Nah, I'd give it a shot. You deserve it. What's the worst that they can say......"Uh, I don't think so." Just make sure you don't stop to give anybody an AAB cert or you could end up at CDG. Just kidding.

Nah, I'd give it a shot. You deserve it. What's the worst that they can say......"Uh, I don't think so." Just make sure you don't stop to give anybody an AAB cert or you could end up at CDG. Just kidding.

HA! I'm 1/2 tempted, but I dont have the heart to ask someone to reward me for a mistake I made (even if they should have cough it too :D ).

I once sat next some someone (this was maybe late spring or summer 2003) on a PIT-PHL flight who was supposed to be on a PIT-LGA flight. They were at neighboring gates.

We had a good laugh - he had a good attitude about it. The FA was completely bewildered how such a thing could have happened.

I gave him specific directions on how to get to NYC using SEPTA and NJ Transit just in case US couldn't get him on a short hop. We parted ways after we landed so I don't know how it ended up.

So yeah, it happens.

Nice story though. ^ It all comes down to attitude.

Awesome story...thanks for sharing.

Last week a large duck hit a CRJ that was flying two coworkers of mine from PWM-PHL. The plane needed repair work before it was allowed to take off and it took a couple hours in PWM to fix the dent before heading via PHL to BWI/DCA (one coworker was going to each destination). They arrived in PHL as the two DC area flights were boarding so both rushed to the gate. One of my coworkers followed the other without remembering they were heading to different destinations and hopped onto the small shuttle out to the waiting DASH 8 to BWI.

At this point it was late at night, and both coworkers were ready to do anything to get on their final flight home - so they decided to roll the dice and both board the BWI flight. The woman checking tickets noticed the change in destination, shrugged her shoulders and say, "what the hell, get on board, the flight isn't full anyways."

Love that story.

I once witnessed a similar situation a few years ago. Flying out of PIT, they were boarding three planes at the same time. All three boarded outside where you walked up the stairs to the plane. The fun part was that all 3 used the same gate to get outside at the same time. I can't tell you how many people were on the wrong plane.

Boarding the wrong planes happens quite a bit...

I was at PHL taking a flight to CLT, and the previous plane to Rome (Italy) had a gate change from OUR gate to another one. Guess what, 5-6 people boarded the flight to CLT thinking they were going to Rome! OOPS. But fortunately they deplaned before leaving the gate. :D

JP

I don't like the feel of the EMB 190's US Airways has. They seem cheap and I didn't like to hear your report on a leaky seal. I have heard they were going to replace the 737s with this aircraft. However, I now hear with the new airbus order they are going to replace the 737s with more A320 family planes. Anyone know what the scoop is?

Anyone know what the scoop is?

I think the Airbus orders will replace the large majority of 734s in service - with the e190s taking over some commuter-heavy routes (ex: PHL-BOS).

I don't like the feel of the EMB 190's US Airways has. They seem cheap and I didn't like to hear your report on a leaky seal. I have heard they were going to replace the 737s with this aircraft. However, I now hear with the new airbus order they are going to replace the 737s with more A320 family planes. Anyone know what the scoop is?

The FA (who was on both flights) told me that the EMB190s were replacing the 737s...for what its worth

Why is it called First Lite on the EMB 190?

I too boarded DCA-TPA with fellow pax. Like a lemming, we all boarded as we were chatting about the week, heading back to TPA to start it all over again. TO make matters worse- they actually did a pre-departure beverage. 3 sips into the Jack and Ginger, the gentleman wanting to sit asked if I may have been in the wrong seat..."No way, made a point of looking at stub to see if I was sitting next to associate in 3F..." "See- right here- OMG. I should be on DCA-CLT-TPA"

Did the responsible thing to keep US costs down- slammed the Jack and Ginger(did not want to dump a full glass in those new trash bags), grabbed the backpack, ran from 38 to 45...and boarded just in time to get a pre-departure drink!

So, had some good luck and actually got not one, but 3 pre-departures all in the same day.

Why is it called First Lite on the EMB 190?

I thought all US F was "First Lite!" :D

TO make matters worse- they actually did a pre-departure beverage. 3 sips into the Jack and Ginger, the gentleman
So, had some good luck and actually got not one, but 3 pre-departures all in the same day.

What is this "pre departure beverage" you reference? I have heard of other airlines serving drinks in first prior to take off...and I *think* I remember a US employee getting confused and doing it 3 years ago...but we all know they barely hang coats anymore let along serve drinks!

Why is it called First Lite on the EMB 190?

ohhh you'll see :D

Its just kind of a cheesy setup. The seats are pretty small, there is very little "extra" space (IE you fight for the arm rest, there is no little inside the seat pocket, etc)... Its setup as 1 seat on one side and 2 seats on the other. The side with 2 seats has full luggage bins, but the side with 1 does not. If you are in coach and your bag doesnt fit (as it will not for at least 1/2 the plane) they make you check. If you are in first and it does not fit (which it will not for at least 1/2 the pax) then they will valet it for you. The service is the same as any other US flight...but it feels like you are on a regional jet with a free drink.
Oh, and now empower in the seats :td:
That said, given the choice b/t a dash8 or EMB145 and first in a EMB190, I'll gladly take the EMB190... I'd just hate do have them on a run that was previously serviced by an Airbus

As an update to the story, I'm looking online at my account and notice that my return trip home tomorrow is canceled (presumably b/c I never flew my correct outbound flight(s) )... so I call the CP desk... She could not have been nicer but she could not get her head around the problem "so did you drive to Atlanta sir"..."no, I got on the wrong plane"..."you mean a different airline?"..."not exactly...no" :D

So I'm guessing at this point getting the millage is going to be an interesting challenge.

What is this "pre departure beverage" you reference?

Clearly the OP stopped at the bar on their way to the gate:cool:

In terms of comfort, I think 2A on the E-190 is the best F seat on in the domestic fleet. It's an aisle and window seat all-in-one and about 3 feet of legroom.

Clearly it was a breach in protocol!!!...Perhaps it might have been a $15.00 compensation in the form of 3 drinks for the 40+hours of delays (not including the cancelled flights) this summer I sat in either DCA, CLT, TPA- or PHL. Let's see- that works out to $0.375 per hour.

Wish I could have blamed it on a visit to the Club or Gordon Biersch.

I was recently in CVG boarding a plane to Boston - at the exact same time they were boarding Austin. The two planes were side by side in the CRJ parking lot and it was noisy so it was hard to hear whether or not you were on the right plane. I got to my seat on the Boston plane and it was taken - as were several other people's seats. You guessed it - they said very clearly - this is the plane going to BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS - if you're going to AUSTIN TEXAS this is not your plane. About 6 people got up and got off the plane looking sheepish.

I think I've done worse than get on the wrong plane - I was on a travel marathon and got to ORD after several seriously delayed flights and was exhausted - it was early morning and I'd walked off a red eye - and right into the women's restroom thinking it was the men's room... I'd rather have gotten on the wrong flight right around then :o

You're not alone in getting on the wrong flight. I've returned to the gate to let a PIT passenger off my PHL bound airplane before. I was more surprised someone was listening to my announcement.

CLT has a bad habit of boarding two Greenville flights at the same time. Problem is one of the flights is going to North Carolina, the other South Carolina. Everytime that happens, we end up with someone on the wrong airplane. Most of the time we catch that the airplane next to us is going to the other Greenville, and ask the FA to verify everyone is on the right airplane. Still doesn't matter, someone isn't going to listen and still go to the wrong state.

My absolute favorite was also on a PGV flight. We were parked at D4, where there is a jetway and stairs down to the ramp. When boarding started, at least 7 people got on the special services van parked under the jetway rather than on the airplane. I guess they thought they bought a bus ticket.

I've also seen people come down the D4 jetway, then walk over to D6 and try to figure out how to get on the JetBlue airplane parked there.

One of these days I'll have to make some Youtube videos of all this....