u600213
Jul 28, 04, 1:55 pm
My first trip report on my trip to Seattle, Port Angeles and Victoria B.C. , How I left my wife in coach and got 2 OP-UP’s,lost luggage etc.
I am UA 1K. I used a last years Fly 3 fly free for my wife, paid for mine back at the end of April. We thought the Pacific Northwest would be a good cool temperature place to go to get out of the expected heat and humidity at the end of July in Springfield MO. Unfortunately there was a heat wave and it was much hotter than back home.
Springfield Missouri (SGF) to Denver Colorado (DEN) Tue, Jul 20
United Airlines 6709
Jul 20 12:25 PM depart SGF
Jul 20 01:17 PM arrival DEN Cabin: United Economy Skywest CRJ
Completely full flight
Denver Colorado (DEN) to Seattle Washington (SEA) Tue, Jul 20
United Airlines 0591
Jul 20 02:34 PM depart DEN
Jul 20 04:12 PM arrival SEA Cabin: United Economy 757-200
Around 75% full flight in coach
Seattle Washington (SEA) to Denver Colorado (DEN) Tue, Jul 27
United Airlines 0450
Jul 27 11:10 AM depart SEA
Jul 27 02:45 PM arrival DEN Cabin: United Economy 737
Half empty in coach
Denver Colorado (DEN) to Springfield Missouri (SGF) Tue, Jul 27
United Airlines 6633
Jul 27 03:27 PM depart DEN
Jul 27 06:10 PM arrival SGF Cabin: United Economy Skywest CRJ
Half empty
All flights on time. We got to Denver and went to the gate for the next flight. They called my wife’s name and had re-seated her not knowing we were together because she was on a different PNR from using the Fly 3 certificate and having kept her maiden name. I had asked to have our records cross referenced at the time of reservation but I guess it didn’t work. So they tried to put us back together and eventually did. Then on the plane a ground service person invited me to come up to First Class. I asked about my wife but they only had one seat. I offered to let my wife sit there but she was happy to have 2 seats in E+. Then someone asked her if she would trade seats so he could sit with his daughter. Claimed it was an aisle seat but turned out to be middle and daughter was not a little child but around 18. She was going to do it anyhow but a child sitting behind her started kicking the back of her seat so she asked and got a different seat. She bought a BOB Bennigans County Cork sandwich and said it was great. FC had the snack of 2 pieces of cheese, pack of crackers and a few grapes. Some had papaya slices, others had melon. No warm nuts. Just the gold packages. Channel 9 was on.
On the return, this time at checkin at SEA, I was told that I had been complimentarily upgraded by “the station controller”. Once again I asked if my wife could get upgraded. Once again they said no, even if I used 500 mile e-upgrades. They did however give her a whole row to herself as the plane was not full. I know it sounds bad leaving her in coach but she said" we've been togeather for 7 days straight and this will be a welcome break". FC had choice of deli plate or chicken salad. I got the deli plate because I like it unlike some who are tired of it. Warm nuts in a plastic beverage cup. Channel 9 plus a 20 minute monologue from the First Officer on the plane, the flight, pilot training, his and the pilots backgrounds, ATC, etc.
After seat belt sign was off, I went to use the lavatory only to find a "foreign object" of rectangular cardboard construction in the toilet. I asked a flight attendant if she had a pair of tongs like they use to hand out hot towels or serve rolls with. She asked why and I showed her. She gave me the tongs , said she could just tape off the lav but I said I didn't mind and she said to throw them away after I went fishing so I did and had a successful fishing trip.
In Denver the monitors had the gate wrong for the flight from DEN-SGF but when we got to B57 and did not see our flight on the sign behind the podium I asked and was told it was at B59 and the airport monitors were wrong. So we left and arrived on time only to find that our 2 checked bags had not made it home. The baggage person filled out the lost luggage form and said they would call and deliver the bags when they arrived. I have had lost luggage many times but usually it is from interline or irregular ops from weather. This time it was just slow baggage handling in DEN. They delivered the bags this morning.
No wait for TSA at SGF or SEA. Used elite line in SEA. SEA invited me to remove my New Balance 996’s even though they don’t set off the metal detector.
Budget Rental Car Ford Focus 4 DR was good. No lines to get or return it.
Red Lion Inn in Port Angeles – room was nice with little refrigerator and microwave and free high speed internet which was extremely slow. We got certificates for $8 each credit at the hotel restaurant for breakfast. Port Angeles is not as nice as Port Townsend but its by the ferry and we had stayed in Port Townsend before so wanted to check it out.
Victoria Clipper was fast and smooth on outbound but was kind of bouncy on return. US Customs asked if we had brought any Canadian Tylenol with codeine. We said no. that was it.
Harbour Towers Hotel and Suites was a very nice hotel. The location is very convenient to the ferry but less convenient to downtown Victoria. We walked back and forth along the harbour and across the lawn of the Provincial Parliment building a couple times each day. Probobly a 1/3 mile each way to the downtown area. Our room was not ready on checkin but the clerk said we would get an upgraded room if we could wait an hour so we left the bags, walked around and returned to receive a harbour view suite with a living room , bedroom and kitchenette. High Speed Internet cost $28 US for 3 days so I paid it because my 800 dialup number didn’t work in Canada and I didn’t want to pay approx. the same amount anyhow in phone charges to dial the non-800 number.
Buchart Gardens is very nice but was extremely crowded last Saturday night as they had a band and fireworks. Ellice House tour is real good. Only $5 CDN for the tour or $17CDN for tour and tea which was claimed by some locals to be as good as tea at the Empress. I'm not into tea and scones myself but some are.
One hour wait for Kingston-Edmonds ferry at 3PM Sunday.
In Seattle burbs we visited my parents and a friend of ours who lives there and mostly sat around.
The End
I am UA 1K. I used a last years Fly 3 fly free for my wife, paid for mine back at the end of April. We thought the Pacific Northwest would be a good cool temperature place to go to get out of the expected heat and humidity at the end of July in Springfield MO. Unfortunately there was a heat wave and it was much hotter than back home.
Springfield Missouri (SGF) to Denver Colorado (DEN) Tue, Jul 20
United Airlines 6709
Jul 20 12:25 PM depart SGF
Jul 20 01:17 PM arrival DEN Cabin: United Economy Skywest CRJ
Completely full flight
Denver Colorado (DEN) to Seattle Washington (SEA) Tue, Jul 20
United Airlines 0591
Jul 20 02:34 PM depart DEN
Jul 20 04:12 PM arrival SEA Cabin: United Economy 757-200
Around 75% full flight in coach
Seattle Washington (SEA) to Denver Colorado (DEN) Tue, Jul 27
United Airlines 0450
Jul 27 11:10 AM depart SEA
Jul 27 02:45 PM arrival DEN Cabin: United Economy 737
Half empty in coach
Denver Colorado (DEN) to Springfield Missouri (SGF) Tue, Jul 27
United Airlines 6633
Jul 27 03:27 PM depart DEN
Jul 27 06:10 PM arrival SGF Cabin: United Economy Skywest CRJ
Half empty
All flights on time. We got to Denver and went to the gate for the next flight. They called my wife’s name and had re-seated her not knowing we were together because she was on a different PNR from using the Fly 3 certificate and having kept her maiden name. I had asked to have our records cross referenced at the time of reservation but I guess it didn’t work. So they tried to put us back together and eventually did. Then on the plane a ground service person invited me to come up to First Class. I asked about my wife but they only had one seat. I offered to let my wife sit there but she was happy to have 2 seats in E+. Then someone asked her if she would trade seats so he could sit with his daughter. Claimed it was an aisle seat but turned out to be middle and daughter was not a little child but around 18. She was going to do it anyhow but a child sitting behind her started kicking the back of her seat so she asked and got a different seat. She bought a BOB Bennigans County Cork sandwich and said it was great. FC had the snack of 2 pieces of cheese, pack of crackers and a few grapes. Some had papaya slices, others had melon. No warm nuts. Just the gold packages. Channel 9 was on.
On the return, this time at checkin at SEA, I was told that I had been complimentarily upgraded by “the station controller”. Once again I asked if my wife could get upgraded. Once again they said no, even if I used 500 mile e-upgrades. They did however give her a whole row to herself as the plane was not full. I know it sounds bad leaving her in coach but she said" we've been togeather for 7 days straight and this will be a welcome break". FC had choice of deli plate or chicken salad. I got the deli plate because I like it unlike some who are tired of it. Warm nuts in a plastic beverage cup. Channel 9 plus a 20 minute monologue from the First Officer on the plane, the flight, pilot training, his and the pilots backgrounds, ATC, etc.
After seat belt sign was off, I went to use the lavatory only to find a "foreign object" of rectangular cardboard construction in the toilet. I asked a flight attendant if she had a pair of tongs like they use to hand out hot towels or serve rolls with. She asked why and I showed her. She gave me the tongs , said she could just tape off the lav but I said I didn't mind and she said to throw them away after I went fishing so I did and had a successful fishing trip.
In Denver the monitors had the gate wrong for the flight from DEN-SGF but when we got to B57 and did not see our flight on the sign behind the podium I asked and was told it was at B59 and the airport monitors were wrong. So we left and arrived on time only to find that our 2 checked bags had not made it home. The baggage person filled out the lost luggage form and said they would call and deliver the bags when they arrived. I have had lost luggage many times but usually it is from interline or irregular ops from weather. This time it was just slow baggage handling in DEN. They delivered the bags this morning.
No wait for TSA at SGF or SEA. Used elite line in SEA. SEA invited me to remove my New Balance 996’s even though they don’t set off the metal detector.
Budget Rental Car Ford Focus 4 DR was good. No lines to get or return it.
Red Lion Inn in Port Angeles – room was nice with little refrigerator and microwave and free high speed internet which was extremely slow. We got certificates for $8 each credit at the hotel restaurant for breakfast. Port Angeles is not as nice as Port Townsend but its by the ferry and we had stayed in Port Townsend before so wanted to check it out.
Victoria Clipper was fast and smooth on outbound but was kind of bouncy on return. US Customs asked if we had brought any Canadian Tylenol with codeine. We said no. that was it.
Harbour Towers Hotel and Suites was a very nice hotel. The location is very convenient to the ferry but less convenient to downtown Victoria. We walked back and forth along the harbour and across the lawn of the Provincial Parliment building a couple times each day. Probobly a 1/3 mile each way to the downtown area. Our room was not ready on checkin but the clerk said we would get an upgraded room if we could wait an hour so we left the bags, walked around and returned to receive a harbour view suite with a living room , bedroom and kitchenette. High Speed Internet cost $28 US for 3 days so I paid it because my 800 dialup number didn’t work in Canada and I didn’t want to pay approx. the same amount anyhow in phone charges to dial the non-800 number.
Buchart Gardens is very nice but was extremely crowded last Saturday night as they had a band and fireworks. Ellice House tour is real good. Only $5 CDN for the tour or $17CDN for tour and tea which was claimed by some locals to be as good as tea at the Empress. I'm not into tea and scones myself but some are.
One hour wait for Kingston-Edmonds ferry at 3PM Sunday.
In Seattle burbs we visited my parents and a friend of ours who lives there and mostly sat around.
The End