Craig6z
Sep 6, 00, 11:25 pm
I happened to notice the other day that the LAX-SLC flight I booked for September 6th was to be the first flight for the route. Call me an optimist, but I kind of thought UA would do something special for the event. (LOL)
In fact, getting out of LAX this morning was a bit of a fiasco. The Sh*ttle was scheduled for 8:09am, and pulled back from Gate 85 exactly on time. For the next 16 minutes we sat about ten feet from the jetway. Finally the pilot came on the intercom asking for our temporary patience. Apparently UA didn't bother telling Air Traffic Control about the new route, and didn't have clearance.
After sixteen minutes, the pilot backed out very quickly and continued in reverse to a point where he was sitting in the middle of the alley, between Gate 81 and 83 (which is the opposite direction from the runway). Here we sat for another 15 minutes when the pilot finally moved forward to head to the runway. Of course that runway was to be now 24L, on the other side of the airport. 52 minutes after scheduled, we were in the air.
Approximately a half hour after takeoff, the pilot apologized for the screw-up but promised that we would only be at the gate seven minutes late. UA had placed so much "slop" in the schedule that we would not really be late. He was wrong, we pulled into the gate five minutes late.
As to what special things UA Sh*ttle did for the first flight....nothing. I did however notice as I departed in SLC that a table had been set up at the arrival gate with some balloons, juice and grungey looking sandwiches.
In fact, getting out of LAX this morning was a bit of a fiasco. The Sh*ttle was scheduled for 8:09am, and pulled back from Gate 85 exactly on time. For the next 16 minutes we sat about ten feet from the jetway. Finally the pilot came on the intercom asking for our temporary patience. Apparently UA didn't bother telling Air Traffic Control about the new route, and didn't have clearance.
After sixteen minutes, the pilot backed out very quickly and continued in reverse to a point where he was sitting in the middle of the alley, between Gate 81 and 83 (which is the opposite direction from the runway). Here we sat for another 15 minutes when the pilot finally moved forward to head to the runway. Of course that runway was to be now 24L, on the other side of the airport. 52 minutes after scheduled, we were in the air.
Approximately a half hour after takeoff, the pilot apologized for the screw-up but promised that we would only be at the gate seven minutes late. UA had placed so much "slop" in the schedule that we would not really be late. He was wrong, we pulled into the gate five minutes late.
As to what special things UA Sh*ttle did for the first flight....nothing. I did however notice as I departed in SLC that a table had been set up at the arrival gate with some balloons, juice and grungey looking sandwiches.