Okay, this route is *boring* :-) right?

But here is a first...(drum roll please)

it was ON TIME BOTH LEGS!!!!!!!!!!

In the annals of my Shuttle experience this is a FIRST.

The 8:00am was uncrowded, leasurely boarding, an apple and a bagel and drinks were offered.

On time going to LGA on the 727. Perfect cab ride into Manhattan.

Great meetings.

3:30 everything is over, I'm ready to go back to LGA for a 5:00 shuttle back to DCA.

Problem: cab drivers go off duty at 4:00, which means you can't get a cab very easily from 3:30 to 4:30pm, during the beginning of rush hour. Great planning, New York.

A cab dropped someone off and I got in. "Laguardia" I said to the turbanned Sikh driver.

"I am going off duty now, sir," the driver answered.

"What are we who must get to LaGuardia supposed to do?" I asked (nicely.) I was determined to sit in the cab until taken to LaGuardia.

A few moments, and the driver engaged the automatic shift and we were off to LGA.

I have had this problem of catching a cab at 3:30 or 3:45 or 4:00pm in NYC many times. It is frustrating to see hundreds of "off duty" cabs during this time. Why, oh why, do they do this?

Back at the LGA ranch, they have great magazines, all free, that you can take. I love this airport, save a fortune in magazines.

Boarded a nice, new 320 EOW (why use the EOW, I wonder? Doesn't this stand for "extended over water") Once again, though this was the 5:00pm, the middle seat was empty.

If Delta ever gives up competing with US, these flights would be full. This competition reminds me of the 3-engine Lockheed L1011 v. McDonnell Douglas DC10 competition that drove Lockheed out of the commercial business (and bankrupted them) and almost bankrupted McDonnell Douglas. Neither DL nor US will make money in this...

The Airbus is a good deal more comfy than the Boeing product. The extra few inches, perhaps. The taxi was very noisy, strange sounds. In the air, strange noises too. But of course everything was fine and we had a nice flight to Washington.

After many shuttle flights, this is the first on-time round trip I remember.