Saturday August 23, 2003

YYZ-LGA
AC-706
CRJ
10am-11:15

We arrived at T2 Transborder at 8:00am to find we should have arrived earlier. The line-ups were huge! I quickly ran to the last empty check-in kiosk. I had my boarding passes in 5 minutes and baggage checked in 10 minutes. After that we were off to security and customs, where I thought I had misplaced my ID. I had to run back to the check-in counter (looking like an idiot) I told the agent I might have left my birth card there. Anyway, I found I had it on me anyway. We passed through customs and security. By then it was 9:15am and getting close to boarding. We grabbed a drink and then headed to the lower terminal where we had to take a bus to “the small plane boarding area”. Kind of reminded me of the infield terminal. I forgot to ask for an upgrade to J, on the CRJ. Like all of you said, there was a skycheck cart near the plane, which I make quick use of on the way.

Flying:

My dream of flying a CRJ plane had come true. I was sitting inside, thinking this isn’t so bad, Especially for someone 5’6. As soon as the pax came on, things got squishy. No IFE, 1 FA, this flight will be boring indeed. After a long taxi out to 24L we finally took off. These planes have as much thrust has you would expect, not much. But still it got us in the air up to 24,000 feet. We landed at LGA on a very sunny day about around 11:15am. All 3 of our bags came out (including my skychecked bag) and we were off to the 1st hotel. (More on the hotels later)


Tuesday, August 26, 2003

LGA-YYZ
AC-717
A319 changed to B737
3:10pm-4:40pm

We arrived at LGA’s main terminal AC check-in desk by 1:00pm. There were only 2 people ahead of us at that time. This time I checked both my rollers since I had bought a large camera bag and didn’t think I could handle 3 bags at once. Just like I couldn’t handle my carry-on roller and slightly larger bag which was designed to have the wheels on the thinner side, making it tip over every very seconds. Next time I will take just 1 roller and camera bag for a carry-on. No more checked luggage for me! Grabbed a soup to eat and got to the “A” Concourse. Both the plane to YUL (CRJ) and to YYZ (A319) had not arrived and the gate area was getting hot and full of pax waiting. Even the area for the other AC gates (AC has 4 gates @ LGA and shares the “A” concourse with Continental) were filling up so we decided to sit there as it wasn’t that busy yet. LGA has great windows all the around the airport which allow you to see the planes very well. An announcement was made that our flight was delayed out of YYZ due to weather. I watched to see if any AC planes were landing (the runways are very close to the gate areas) Then I saw an AC 737 approching. I asked the agent and that was our plane. Great, I haven’t flown in a 737 since the CAILs days!

Flying:
YYZ-LGA pax were quickly deplaned and the plane was prepared and cleaned for the next LGA-YYZ flight. Boarding commenced quickly starting with Es and SEs(no basics allowed at this time ), then regular pax. This plane had not been converted over to Air Canada because everyone inside still read “Canadian Airlines” Memories of when I was 5 or 6 years old, flying into YUL to visit my family. Being served a full meal (I distinctly remember a roast beef sandwich with salad and a chocolate bar for desert). My father even has a paper luggage tag from then when they were CP Air. Anyway, I was hoping to wait till all the pax loaded then jump up into J but it turned to out to be 100% full (12 seats) Taxied out to one of the “Right” runways and took off after a DL 737. I always liked the take offs on the 737, something about Pratt and Whitney engines that I like. This flight at 2 FAs, 1 serving the Y cabin and 1 serving the J cabin. I noted the name of the Y cabin FA and wanted to ask her if she was the President of Destina (her name was Lise and she looked sort of like the one from Destina) . Since it was a full flight someone had to take the middle seat. We started talking about FlyerTalk after he saw my tag. He told me he was an Elite and told me to try and reach for Super Elite. Hopefully I will get there some day.

[URL=http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-8/78560/spirit.jpg]For all of you in the AC forum! URL]

More to come later!




[This message has been edited by fromYYZ_flyer (edited 08-29-2003).]