Trip Reports - AA PHL-MSP in Y

OK. So I know this may not be a RTW in F on 8 different airlines.. but it's worth reading if you've ever thought of switching to AA. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Preface: When I left my office for PHL, I left my cell phone in the men's room. (AARGH!).

I get to PHL verry early. I wanted to check out the Admiral's Club. Very nice. Got a little tour and got a one day admission. It was nice.. free local calls, great snack mix, and the gal at the ticket counter was awesome! She went out of her way to see if I could get on an earlier flight. (It was sold out. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif)

She then gives me a little sticker and says that I can use the "Express" security line. I was like, http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif. This was a HUGE favor because the line at this point was wayyyyyy back. No one in the express line. The National Guardman waves me through and I go in. Security.. no hassle.

Board on time. I get on the plane and the first thing I clearly notice is the spacing of the coach seats. I was amazed and I couldn't wait to get to my seat to see what all the MRTC hubub was about. Well, I got to my seat on this Super 80, and I was thoroughly amazed. I'm a big dude. And I had no problem stretching my legs out under the seatin front of me. I really was in disbelief that an Airline had done this. (Keep in mind I'm a DL PM, so any display of appreciation will usually floor me. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif)

We take off on time. There are these neat little headrests on the coach seats that make it very easy to sleep. I got some wine from the FA. And it was good to boot, so I got another one. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

We land on time. Now here's where this trip report turns slightly sour. The Captain comes over the PA and says that there's a plane occupying our gate and that we would have to park the plane in a remote local of ORD to wait. And.. that we would have to wait 10 minutes or so. I'm like, no biggie. I was STARVING (I said I was a big dude. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif), so I figured I'd have plenty of time to get MickeyD's or something on my way to my gate.

Well, we sit there, and sit there, and sit there, for what turned out to be 45 minutes. Keep in mind I only had an hour layover. So now, I'm hot because there's no air, and I'm fiesty because I might miss my flight home.

We park at K something, and I've got to go to H16. CLEAR at the other end of H concourse. I HAUL BUTT, and get there just in time. WHEW! The ORD-MSP flight's on time. Thank you!

I sit down in my F100 seat, which wasn't as comfortable as the Super 80, but I did have plenty of legroom again. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Looking forward to going home.

BUT! Then the pilot comes on and says that we have to be de-iced.. and that it would take about 15 minutes. It actually turned out to be 30 minutes, and by now we were late and there was no getting around it. The flight was scheduled to leave at 8:40, and we didn't take off until 9:30.

That flight was ok. The F100 seats were like RJ seats.. not very comfortable in the back. Oh well.

Overall.. AA treated me VERY well. I'm flying them again tomorrow to ORD. MRTC is reason enough for me to switch from DL. I'm thinking of asking for a comp to PLT at this point. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Thanks for the trip report.

I find the AA adjustable headrests to be very uncomfortable. They make my neck hurt.

I switched from DL to AA in 1997 and I'm never going back.

Thanks for the report.
I always appreciate it when people post domestic reports especially as that is 99% of my flying.

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Jason Seiple
JAX

Thanks for the report, mspman. Sounds like we'll be missing you around the DL board.

mspman:

Great trip report. Not as glamourous as some, but a real testimonial to the positives of AA.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">We land on time. Now here's where this trip report turns slightly sour. The Captain comes over the PA and says that there's a plane occupying our gate and that we would have to park the plane in a remote local of ORD to wait. And.. that we would have to wait 10 minutes or so. I'm like, no biggie. I was STARVING (I said I was a big dude. ), so I figured I'd have plenty of time to get MickeyD's or something on my way to my gate.

Well, we sit there, and sit there, and sit there, for what turned out to be 45 minutes. Keep in mind I only had an hour layover. So now, I'm hot because there's no air, and I'm fiesty because I might miss my flight home.

We park at K something, and I've got to go to H16. CLEAR at the other end of H concourse. I HAUL BUTT, and get there just in time. WHEW! The ORD-MSP flight's on time. Thank you!</font>

This happens to me all the time at ORD, and has for many years now. I know that gates and real estate are expensive, but so are airplanes that are not in the air, parked in the penalty box. Every year I hope that AA does something to fix this but things never change.

Because of this, I almost never voluntarily schedule a connection at ORD that doesn't allow 90-120 minutes. Too many missed flights to cut it to the ORD legal minimum of 30 minutes (or even 60). Sometimes I have to wait 20-30 minutes for my gate-checked Valet carryon bags to be unloaded from the ATR/RJ. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif

And as you pointed out, the place is HUGE. Walking at a brisk pace, it can take 10-20 minutes (depending on the crowds) to hike from G-20 to the tip of K or H. I could do it faster, but usually I am blocked by the throngs of people.

The Admirals Clubs provide a nice place to spend the extra time I build into my ORD connections.

Not everyone thinks MRTC is fantastic, but for me it is far more important than whether the flight is 15 minutes late.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by FWAAA:

Sometimes I have to wait 20-30 minutes for my gate-checked Valet carryon bags to be unloaded from the ATR/RJ. </font>

Minor Point: AA is "all jet" at ORD and no longer operates ATR's there.