*Flight Information:
Airline and Flight Number: Delta Air Lines 2071
Departure Airport: Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Salt Lake City, UT
Arrival Airport: Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, NV
Departure Airport Terminal, Gate: Concourse A, Gate A20
Arrival Airport Terminal, Gate: Terminal 1, Gate D36
Aircraft Type, Registration: Boeing 757-200, N6704Z
Class of Service, Seat: First, 4A (originally 3A but we switched seats with other passengers)
Scheduled Departure Time/Actual Departure Time: 11:55AM/12:06PM (MT)
Scheduled Arrival Time/Actual Arrival Time: 12:20PM (PST)/12:06PM (PST)

*SPECIAL NOTES:
-Second time flying from SLC (The first time I flew from SLC was in November 1998, when I flew from JFK to LAS via SLC with my parents.)
-Second time in Utah (see above)
-Second time flying between SLC and LAS
-First time in SLC's new terminal.
-First time flying First Class in many years (I last flew First Class, also on Delta a very long time ago between NYC and South Florida with my parents and on America West (now defunct due to merging with US Airways and later American) in July 2001 between LAS and JFK due to an operational upgrade as the result of a severely delayed flight.). Usually, I fly Economy or sometimes, an Economy Comfort product so this was a treat!
-Fifth time connecting overall (Counting when the first two times I connected on the same airline plus when I connected at JFK in July 2017 from LY to DL.)
-Eighth time visiting Las Vegas (I previously visited Vegas in June-July 1997, November 1998, June-July 1999, June-July 2000, October 2000, June-July 2001, and September 2022)
-Second time visiting Las Vegas as an adult.
-Second time flying between SLC and LAS.
-First time staying at the Crockfords Las Vegas, LXR Hotels & Resorts at Resorts World
-Second time staying in the Resorts World complex.

a) At Airport:
After a wonderful flight from Fort Lauderdale aboard Delta 745, me and my Mother arrived at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) with ample time to make our connecting flight, Delta 2071 to Las Vegas. Delta 2071 was scheduled to leave on time at 11:55AM, so in keeping with Delta boarding domestic flights 40-minutes prior to their scheduled departure time, our next flight would board at 11:15AM, leaving us with an hour to relax on our layover. With this in mind, we decided to make our way to Gate A20, where Delta 2071 would depart from. Less than five minutes after we disembarked from Delta 745, we found ourselves at Gate A20, thanks to the fact that SLC has a much more manageable layout than Atlanta or New York-JFK. The moving walkways didn't hurt either. In addition, we found the terminal to be immaculate, modern, and fully featured, with plenty of restaurants and shops. There were even some luxury retailers, like a Tumi store, making it almost reminiscent of JFK's Terminal 4 in that regard. Once at Gate A20, we took a seat. Me and my Mother decided we would take turns going to the restroom, so I offered to watch her belongings and my belongings first. While there, thanks to the fact that I got a seat right by the window, I was even able to start plane spotting. What's more? As seen below, the mountain vistas made for some incredible shots of all the action at SLC. Here's a shot of N6704DZ at Gate A20, the Delta Boeing 757-200 that would operate Delta 2071, our flight to Las Vegas after arriving from New York-JFK as Delta 354.

While I was waiting for my Mother to return from the restroom, I could not help but take in the breathtaking mountain vistas. I even texted my friend/boss, who used to be from Salt Lake City, some photos and when he responded later, he loved my photos.


Less than five minutes later, my Mother returned from the restroom and she reported that it was immaculate. She added that from what she could see, the airport was aesthetically pleasing and not hard to get around at all! Mom then told me to feel free to stretch my legs for a bit and plane spot, as she knows I am a travel nerd. With this in mind, I decided to take advantage of the time I had, first getting a photo of the gate area, which I found to be airy and have plenty of seating.

Once I started walking, I saw some widebody action at Gate A15, heating N183DN, a Delta Boeing 767-300 that had arrived from Honolulu earlier that morning as Delta 347 and would be returning there as Delta 397.

Taking a further look at the Concourse B across the tarmac, the Delta action was broken up by N229FR aka "Peachy the Fox at Gate B8," a Frontier Airbus A320 that had arrived from Atlanta as Frontier 2317 and would be returning there as Frontier 2318.

As I ventured further down Concourse A, I could not help but continue to be impressed by how aesthetically pleasing this terminal was. Not only was it immaculate and modern, with bright energy efficient LED lighting and sparkling concrete floors, it also had colors evocative of nature. This could not be more evident by the brownish tone used in the sloped ceiling with LED lighting and by the restrooms, brownish tiles evocative of the mountains thanks to their coloring. All in all, it was a nice attempt at bringing the outside in.

Another touch I loved throughout Concourse A was the additional signage coming out of the upper portions of the walls from a sideways vantage point, coming in handy for wayfinding and finding the right gate for your flight. The signage was also very good thanks to having the information displayed in a clear, concise, and legible manner.

I then found myself at Gate A22, which like the other gates, was airy and had ample seating. I noticed that the gate itself was similar, if not the same in design as the Delta gates in Atlanta.

Right near Gate A22, N529DT, which was parked at Gate A24, arrived from Boston as Delta 859. It would depart for Los Angeles as Delta 2657.

As I got closer to the center of Concourse A, I took in more information from the flight information screens. There were many flights in keeping with Delta's status as the main carrier at SLC. Most of the flights from SLC were going to domestic destinations, Canada, and to Amsterdam and Paris. Although SLC is a major hub for Delta, it does not have as much international service as say ATL or JFK.


Once I reached the center of Concourse A and I was able to take in more of its atmosphere, I was even more impressed! The center of the concourse, which serves as the split between Gates A1-A25 and Gates A26-A47 had shiny black concrete floors as well as floor to ceiling windows on the left side of the concourse, functioning as a seating area that also had impressive views of the tarmac, Concourse B, and the mountains.

The right side of the concourse had a plethora of restaurants and shops as well as an upper wall with a wavy pattern above the restaurants and shops, adding something to stimulate the senses.

Wanting to catch just a bit of aviation action, I went over to the side of the A-Gates with the seating area, which although in the middle a bustling airport, had a relaxing feel thanks to comfortable couches and club chairs (including some with views of the tarmac) as well as a piano, which was not being played on at that moment.

While taking in the scenic views from the center of the A-Gates with the seating area, I was able to get an ample amount of aviation action in very little time! First, I spotted N285SY, a Delta Embraer E-175 that left Gate B22 to taxi for its departure to Helena, MT as Delta 3885. In the background, it was surrounded by two Southwest 737-700s, including N212WN at Gate B18, a Southwest Boeing 737-700 that had arrived from Phoenix as Southwest 992 and would be departing for Burbank, CA as Southwest 801. Next door at Gate B20, N481WN, another Southwest Boeing 737-700 had arrived from Long Beach, CA as Southwest 3634 and would be departing for Denver as Southwest 992.

Looking to Gate A27, where I also took in some more incredible mountain vistas, I spotted N379DN, a Delta Airbus A321 that had arrived from Atlanta as Delta 830 and would be departing for Orlando as Delta 606.

Looking down the row of Delta aircraft, I spotted N107DN at Gate A31, the Delta A321 that brought us from Fort Lauderdale and would now be departing for Charlotte as Delta 2510.

I then got another photo of N285SY continuing to taxi for its departure to Helena.

With the time now being 10:57AM, which would only leave me with only a little over 15-minutes until boarding, I decided to head back towards the gate. On my way back, I stopped at the restroom, which had artistic looking signage that incorporated a look that brought the outside in, as I had mentioned earlier.

Indeed, the restroom impressed as it was immaculate and well stocked. With using the restroom out of the way, I just needed to find a spot to pick up some sparkling water. Lo-and-behold, I found Bruges Belgian Bistro, a quick service eatery specializing in sandwiches and Belgian cut fries. The fries did look tantalizing and I thought about ordering some, but I was not too hungry at that moment. However, a pleasant surprise was that each bottle of Perrier only cost $2.99, which is not at all bad for an airport. If memory serves me correctly, it is a little bit more than that at PBI or FLL, about $4-$5 a bottle at JFK, and according to my Mom, close to $7 a bottle at LAX, so this cost at SLC was a pleasant surprise! Needing the Perriers, I purchased two bottles of Perrier.

Once I returned to the gate, my Mother then needed to use the restroom one last time, so I offered to stay at the gate once again. While I was waiting, I got a selfie with some Delta action and a little bit of the mountains.

And of course, I even did a little more plane spotting right from my window seat at Gate A18. Looking to my left, I could see N6704Z at Gate A20, which was the Boeing 757-200 that would operate Delta 2071 to Las Vegas and as mentioned earlier, had arrived from New York-JFK as Delta 354. In back of N6704Z, I spotted N529DT, a Delta Airbus A321neo I had spotted earlier at Gate A24. At this time, it was being towed away from the gate to prepare for its departure to Los Angeles as Delta 2657. Flanking N529DT on the right at Gate A18, I spotted N395DN, a Delta Boeing 737-800 that had arrived from Seattle as Delta 2878 and would be departing for Denver as Delta 1632.


Over the next couple of minutes, it was definitely fascinating watching N529DT being towed, as it lent to some amazing action shots and it the tow was helpful in navigating this Airbus A321neo around tight space, since Gate A24, where this aircraft was departing from, is close to the center of the concourse, leading to less space for the plane to navigate due to a wall on one side.


As N529DT was preparing for its departure to Los Angeles as Delta 2657, my Mother returned from the restroom and we were both ready to go! A few minutes later at 11:15AM, the gate agents announced that boarding would begin for Delta 2071 to Las Vegas. Since we were in First Class, we were among the first passengers to board as we did not want to waste time. The Gate Agents, who were polite and efficient, had us on our way and wished us a good flight. We were both excited, as we were that much closer to being in Sin City!