CarlTheWebmaster
Jun 2, 06, 3:53 pm
Wirelessly posted (RIM BlackBerry 8700c: Mozilla/2.0 (compatible; MSIE 3.02; Windows CE; PPC; 240x320) BlackBerry8700/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)
Hello,
This is my first trip report. Comments and suggestions welcome, in this thread or via PM.
Note: posting from wireless device, so hope the formatting is ok.
UA/UX 7519 1150 DFW 336 IAD 2A
With a 1150a departure time, I had no traffic and both the normal rental car center bus wait and security lines were nonexistent. Mr. Chicken gave me a departure mgt card along with my E+ BP, so I went to the gate to check on my upgrade. The GA was quite friendly and said my chances were 'good'. Hooray! I left my BP with her and off I went to the RCC for some coffee, email, and of course some FT forum reading.
Back at the gate, the GA had my F BP ready (score! Good luck so far on ExPlus between DFW and IAD). At boarding time they asked for UGS first, of which I was apparently the only one, which was a first for me.
Now I'm settled into 2A. Hmm. Issue with the gentleman in 2D, whose bag won't fit. But that's resolved once he finds out that they will gate-check it and it'll be on the jetway at IAD.
20 min to go, and a coffee would be great about now. I have to say that these ExPlus RJs are great, particularly in F. 1+2 seating is comfortable, and I like the A side since it's both aisle and window. One downside is no audio and thus no Channel 9. And, I notice that row 3, technically a bulkhead seat, does have under-seat storage -- worth remembering. Typically I don't like bulkhead in any class due to the lack of a place to put my headset,book, etc, but not a problem at the front of E+ on an Embraer 170.
Ok, door closing now, so I guess that coffee will have to wait. On other days, the pre-flight drink service has generally been speedy and plentiful.
Pushback at 1152a, actual takeoff at 1211p. Nice sunny day with some high cirro-cumulus as we climb up past the lakes north of DFW and head up to the NE.
Hmm, it's past noon. Should I have a beer instead of coffee? Nope, the coffee smells too good. I decline the snack box (salami slices, bagel chips, olives, golden rasins, nuts, cheese spread, marinara sauce -- why? Mini bruschetta? -- and honey nougat candy) in favor of the lunch I brought. I'm superstitious: whenever I am waitlisted for an upgrade, I always act as though I won't get it, for example by bringing food on meal-less Y flights. The coffee is quite good, in a decent-sized styrofoam cup. I have a bit of a 'thing' about coffee cups on UA, as I mention in another post.
Some minor chop en route, and touchdown at 407p local. (Scheduled for 336p, with minor diversion for weather, so not bad).
Oops, D8 is occupied, so the pilot says we'll wait for 'a few minutes' while they locate another gate for us. Then it's off to the mobile lounge, a taxi, and home.
This was one in a series of UA/UX flights I've taken recently and fairly consistent with the others. Good GA and FA service, RCCs close to departure gates, and reasonable ontime departure and arrival. The wait on the tarmac this time is one exception. Hmm. Now it's 426, still waiting. My good humor as I wrote the above lines is wearing thin...
Now it is 436p, one hour late. The pilot just apologized once more, and we've started to move toward D8.
I should never have written that part about these flights all being consistent -- I've jinxed myself!
And here we are at D8, 440p.
Have a nice weekend everyone!
-C
Hello,
This is my first trip report. Comments and suggestions welcome, in this thread or via PM.
Note: posting from wireless device, so hope the formatting is ok.
UA/UX 7519 1150 DFW 336 IAD 2A
With a 1150a departure time, I had no traffic and both the normal rental car center bus wait and security lines were nonexistent. Mr. Chicken gave me a departure mgt card along with my E+ BP, so I went to the gate to check on my upgrade. The GA was quite friendly and said my chances were 'good'. Hooray! I left my BP with her and off I went to the RCC for some coffee, email, and of course some FT forum reading.
Back at the gate, the GA had my F BP ready (score! Good luck so far on ExPlus between DFW and IAD). At boarding time they asked for UGS first, of which I was apparently the only one, which was a first for me.
Now I'm settled into 2A. Hmm. Issue with the gentleman in 2D, whose bag won't fit. But that's resolved once he finds out that they will gate-check it and it'll be on the jetway at IAD.
20 min to go, and a coffee would be great about now. I have to say that these ExPlus RJs are great, particularly in F. 1+2 seating is comfortable, and I like the A side since it's both aisle and window. One downside is no audio and thus no Channel 9. And, I notice that row 3, technically a bulkhead seat, does have under-seat storage -- worth remembering. Typically I don't like bulkhead in any class due to the lack of a place to put my headset,book, etc, but not a problem at the front of E+ on an Embraer 170.
Ok, door closing now, so I guess that coffee will have to wait. On other days, the pre-flight drink service has generally been speedy and plentiful.
Pushback at 1152a, actual takeoff at 1211p. Nice sunny day with some high cirro-cumulus as we climb up past the lakes north of DFW and head up to the NE.
Hmm, it's past noon. Should I have a beer instead of coffee? Nope, the coffee smells too good. I decline the snack box (salami slices, bagel chips, olives, golden rasins, nuts, cheese spread, marinara sauce -- why? Mini bruschetta? -- and honey nougat candy) in favor of the lunch I brought. I'm superstitious: whenever I am waitlisted for an upgrade, I always act as though I won't get it, for example by bringing food on meal-less Y flights. The coffee is quite good, in a decent-sized styrofoam cup. I have a bit of a 'thing' about coffee cups on UA, as I mention in another post.
Some minor chop en route, and touchdown at 407p local. (Scheduled for 336p, with minor diversion for weather, so not bad).
Oops, D8 is occupied, so the pilot says we'll wait for 'a few minutes' while they locate another gate for us. Then it's off to the mobile lounge, a taxi, and home.
This was one in a series of UA/UX flights I've taken recently and fairly consistent with the others. Good GA and FA service, RCCs close to departure gates, and reasonable ontime departure and arrival. The wait on the tarmac this time is one exception. Hmm. Now it's 426, still waiting. My good humor as I wrote the above lines is wearing thin...
Now it is 436p, one hour late. The pilot just apologized once more, and we've started to move toward D8.
I should never have written that part about these flights all being consistent -- I've jinxed myself!
And here we are at D8, 440p.
Have a nice weekend everyone!
-C