With the year rapidly coming to a close, I'm close enough to renewing my American Executive Platinum and Flying Blue Silver status that every mile counts and a few strategically chosen flights will get me over the top. So for my quarterly visits to Pittsburgh and Montreal, I booked a mix of airlines, flights and routes to get me over the top. First up is Pittsburgh. This morning, I'm on American from close to home John Wayne Airport SNA. Less than 20 minutes from home to the gate makes this one really convenient airport.

SNA-ORD
AA 2517
737-800
7:00a-1:00p
September 20, 2017

AA's new boarding priority... 9 groups? Seriously?





Airline of the year, my arse.







Lining up for the early morning wave of post-curfew departures.



West bound over the coast.







And then back east. Pretty cool sunrise off the clouds.



The usual bizarre gogo pricing. All Day for $49.95 or the entire month for $49.95. Hmmm, let me think. Fortunately, I have 20 free gogo passes from my Amex Business Platinum cards.



Excellent crew offered PDBs and multiple passes thru the cabin throughout the fight. Alas, it's been 6 months since my last midcon meal and who'd have thought that #GoingForGreat could get even worse. Choice of Continental Fruit Plate or something called the Breakfast Sandwich.



The fruit was good, but the Sandwich? Yikes. Peeling back the layers. My, doesn't that look inviting.





The non bread part.



Chobani Vanilla yogurt? Yuck. Why bother?



I'm thinking that someone in catering gets a bonus for reducing midcon meal costs to less than $1 per meal. You know it's bad when you long for UA's old Jeff McMuffin.

Mid flight snack.



Our approach to Chicago on a beautiful day.