Arrived at 7:10am for 8:30am flight, no one in Medallion line so I checked in upfront instead of at the CRC. I had switched my upgrade from a SWU to segments at the 72 hr. mark, so that was a plus.

Cleared security for the first time in awhile without them pulling my laptop case off to check it. Got to the CRC and it was empty except for desk staff & Carol, the bar/coffee lady. My biggest beef with DL is no matter what time of day it is, the only choice for snacks is the mixed pretzels/peanuts/sesame stick thingys or bags of pretzels. Grabbed a coffee and the paper. Went to gate at 7:50 and it looked like a very full flight, which wasn't a surprise for a Sat. morning. Flight form PDX-ATL and continues on to MIA (codeshare w/Swissair).

Asked if they needed volunteers, no. As boarding was about to start they had to re-route us through another side door since the main one was stuck! They're doing major counter/gate retrofitting and construction at that end of the D Concourse. Got to my seat, 3E and settled in.

As I watched the pax boarding I started to get uneasy since there were a few really young ones in FC and they were already starting to wail. Lady in 1C & D with a 7-8 yr old girl and a 2 yr old boy, and he was wired. Sitting behind me (4E&F) was a young black couple (the guy looked familiar) with a 6-8 month old infant, and it was screaming. As the FA came for drink orders, she bent down & said "this may be a very long flight", I'm sure in reference to the screamers. I've taken this flight a number of times, so many of the FA's are familiar since they usually use PDX based on this one.

To the parents credit, once we started to roll out to taxi, the kids got quiet and we never heard them again for 4 hours. The guy behind me who looked familiar was Steve Smith (NBA) who was just recently traded by the ATL Hawks to the TrailBlazers for JR Rider. I spoke with him briefly and found out he was in PDX house-hunting for the season, and on his way back to ATL to get packed up & ready to come back for mini-camp.

FC was full (24) and the back was about 80% (L1011-500). Breakfast was so-so, but it didn't seem that the FA's were skipping all around to take orders as in the past. By the time they got to me they still had all 3 choices available (only think that happened because I heard at least 3 people decline the meal).

Arrived in ATL about 15 min. late, checked monitor and found my connection to EWR was delayed 50 minutes. Headed to CRC and found out that all East Coast seemed to be delayed, especially all flights into/out of EWR. Killed some time there and back to gate, where they were starting to board. This leg on an MD-88 (14 FC), my seat was 3C and the entire plane was full. Finally took off about 6:30, flight originally scheduled for 5pm departure.

The FC meal on this flight was a Cajun-spiced chicken dish with red beans & rice. Actually very tasty, but the salad was limp and the dessert (square hunk of sugar/cream/cake with choc. shavings) was weak at best. Bailey's & coffee finished it off nicely.

Was seated next to a cute young lady who is a FA for DL, coming back from vacation in the Bahamas (she's based in EWR). As we talked flying during dinner, she told me she had only been a FA for 9 months, but takes a lot of mini-vacations (all non-rev naturally). That started me wondering about the rest of the pax in FC. When the meal was over I went up front and asked the FA to explain the FC manifest to me. Very interesting…

Of 14 pax, 5 had Medallion status. There were 5 non-revs, 4-FO's (which was explained as an honorary status by DL for suppliers and CEO of companies that do business with DL) & 4 pax from a cruise that had no DL status, but had been upgraded as part of their package. Of the 5 Medallion, 2 each PL, GL, 1 SLV. The FA told me they are instructed in training to watch the manifests for PL's & GL's and be especially nice to them, since they were the best revenue pax.
She also said that this flight turns around and goes back to ATL and is usually only 40% full. She checks the manifest & as soon as they close the door, if she finds PL or GL's in the back, she comps them FC if there's space. Nice touch!

Flight was put into 3 different 'holding patterns' and even the co-pilot came out at one point & said that ATC was swamped with planes and it could be a long hold. We arrived 2 hrs late (9:20 instead of 7:20pm). Baggage took a long time to come out, onto the monorail to pick-up car (thin selection on Emerald Aisle but I got a nice Olds Intrigue) and quick ride to Sheraton in Edison, NJ.

Check-in was fast (I booked a SureSaver deal where you pay in advance, but I got a $69 rate for the 6 nights I'll be here). Finally got into room (standard w/king bed & workdesk) at 10:15pm, and was happy to unpack & flop into bed.

Info about the Sheraton in the next few days.
Monday night is the FT get-together in PHL...




[This message has been edited by shadow (edited 08-23-1999).]