With all the talk about WN being tops in customer satisfaction and UA holding the short straw, I thought I'd try a trip report with a twist - a comparison of my UA flight with that of my fiancée (Honeybaby, her first post and trip report) on WN, from California to Washington D.C. And now, on to the specifics!

Indurain SNA-DEN-IAD UA 4/15/00

The day began on 4/14 since I pulled an all-nighter packing after a day of work. The ritual has become a regular for me since I started taking early flights. I traded $49 worth of long-term parking fees for a dinner so a friend can chauffeur me to the airport in the luxury of a Ford Ranger. The ground was still wet in the pre-dawn morning, and the clouds linger, but the air is crisp and clean. After arriving at SNA in style, I tried to curb-check my bags with a smile on my face and a tip in my hand, but a skycap barked at me to get behind a gaggle of people in the distance that he called a line, so I decided to save my money and check-in at the Premier line. Three passengers ahead of me translated to a wait of about 8 minutes, and I was greeted by a very friendly agent. She asked me for upgrade certs after taking my bags, and I surrendered 2500 miles in exchange for first and business class seats on respective flights.

UA 452 (757-222 N523UA) had begun boarding by the time I arrived at gate 1. There was no agent at the door, so I inserted the boarding pass in the machine on my own, no big deal, but it could be a security oversight if someone decided he didn't need a boarding pass. Smiles were all around in the cabin, and I quickly settled into 2D. This aircraft had old seats in first and economy. The only new amenities are the expanded bins and Economy Plus. I was offered a pre-departure drink, and my coat was eventually picked up. The flight left right on time, and the captain explained in detail the noise-abatement departure, as well as the restriction for departures before 7am. Channel 9 was available after engine start. We were 4th to takeoff, which came quickly once things got started. Incidentally, the 6:45am flight to ORD was still at the gate by the time we were airborne. We soon broke through the cotton-soft puffs of clouds to a spectacular sunrise. I asked for a can of coke, which came in a glass, and I ordered the breakfast sampler over the fruit plate. "Captain Ed" came on to tell us we're at 37,000 ft, turn off the seatbelt sign, and asked us to keep our arms inside the aircraft at all times. He also informed us about his upcoming talk show on channel 9, which will give us more information on the fight and the aircraft. I quickly gulped down the breakfast, which made it difficult to remember, but there was scrambled eggs on a potato shell, a slice of ham, a roll with butter, and fruits. As promised, Captain Ed came on channel 9 as the host of his talk show. He gave more information on the flight (37,000 ft being around 7-8 miles up, air being thinner up here, if honey is like the thickness of air on the ground, water is akin to the thickness at 37k, plus winds and outside temp), an introduction to the aircraft (introduced around the 80s, sister aircraft is 767, cockpit commonality means pilots can fly the 767 after landing the 757, 767 like a Cadillac whereas 757 is like a sports car, automation and flight management system, costs of equipment and operation), and why there's pilots up there when there's so much automation (computer can't takeoff, to turn off/of the seatbelt sign, make decisions regarding the most economical operation, and safety). The whole show seemed short, but we were close to initial descent at its conclusion. I enjoyed it so much that I sent up a "Service in Every Sense" card even though the program already expired. I was given the Captain's appreciative reply on the back of his business card, and was invited to say hello at the end of the flight. Denver was in heavy soup above 200 ft, and pockets of moderate chop waited for our descent. Captain Ed told us he will hand-fly the approach and landing, and it was one of the smoothest in recent memory. Tiny flurries of snow were visible as we taxied to the gate, and I shook the Captain's hand before leaving.

UA 296 (777-222 N772UA) shows a 20 minute delay on the monitor, and a west RCC agent said it was due to weather in IAD. No big deal, I enjoyed a yogurt while calling Pikachu to tell her about my last flight. I went to the gate 20 minutes before the new departure to find a huge gaggle of high school students looking forward to their trip to the nation's Capitol. I asked a gate agent about volunteering since the flight looked full, but he said it wasn't necessary and thanked me for offering. I then boarded and took my seat in 8J. My seat mate looked up and asked if I'd prefer an aisle seat, and I told her I prefer window for the scenery. She complained that she wanted a window for the same reason and didn't speak to me anymore. This cabin had the old Connoisseur seats with adjustable head rest, but no EmPower. Channel 9 was not available for this flight, as usual with most of my flights in wide-bodies. First class also had 2 rows of old seats, some taken by deadheading pilots in uniform. This being a 3-class aircraft, there is no Economy Plus. I was amazed at the seat pitch in this bulkhead seat, but missed having a preflight drink. We did, however, receive menus before departure. Garden salad with Parmesan pepper or Asian sesame ginger dressing; main course is choice of apple-marinated grilled chicken breast or spinach and ricotta ravioli with oven-charred tomato sauce; dessert is Eli's apple crunch cheesecake. Meal selection was taken from front to back, I got the chicken. The flight was further delayed by container loading which took place right underneath my seat, and we finally pushed back 40 minutes later. The light snow had stopped by now, so we taxied past the de-icing pads without stopping. Right after takeoff we encountered the same bumps as the previous arrival, and it was that way until leveling. Service was perfunctory sans smiles. I got a Coke and finished it before dinner arrived, so I had a few glasses of Chardonnay with dinner. After clearing the dinner trays, the flight attendants disappeared. The movie choices were Anna and the King or Stuart Little. I chose Stuart Little, while fighting the effects of wine. By the end of the movie, a blanket of clouds was all I could see out the window, so I gave in to the wine-induced drowsiness. I was in and out of consciousness as we descended for IAD, and got up shortly before landing hoping to catch a glimpse of Washington D.C. I would later learn of just how far IAD is from the Capitol. Upon entering the jetway I was greeted by a warm gush of Washington D.C. humid air. The first impression was one of disappointment. I had expected a modern terminal like LAX, ORD or DEN, instead, I found it to be an old, stuffy, and low-ceilinged terminal connected to the main terminal via shuttle buses. I made a quick detour to the underground RCC for a drink and phone call before heading to baggage claim. Highschool kids have infiltrated the claims area, but I expected my Priority-tagged bags to be waiting for me on the side - NOT. My bags didn't show up for another 5 minutes. Another shuttle bus outside the airport brought me to the off-site National rental location, and I upgraded to an Olds Alero for $2.50 more per day. I also bought a tank of gas at $1.45 - I'd get more at that price if I could. The total price looked odd, it worked out to be a much higher daily rate than expected. I made a mental note to follow up when I returned the car.

[This message has been edited by Indurain (edited 04-28-2000).]