mirage1228

YES.

USCGamecock

If possible, Row 28 looks the best. However, you are not alone there.

firstflyer

I'd say yes.

MileageAddict

Does DL utilize the MD-90 on specific routes or is it randomly mixed into the MD-80 fleet?

brown069

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 4.01; Windows CE; Smartphone; 176x220))

Specific routes- usually involving SLC, but they sometimes show up on east coast routes (MCO-ATL, for example).

AndyTLe

Most, if not all, MD-90s are based in SLC. The 90's more powerful engines are useful since SLC is at a high altitude.

A good history of the MD-90s can be found here... http://www.slcspotters.com/

MileageAddict

Are there any differences between the MD-90 and the Boeing 717?

AndyTLe

The 717, aka MD-95, was the follow-up to the MD-90. When McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing, the MD-95, became the 717.

Delta 764

You are completely wrong. The 717 never was designed to replace the MD-90. The MD-90 is siginifcantly larger than the 717, almost as large as the 737-800. After Boeing and McDonnell Douglas merged, the MD-90 was discontinued as it was a poor seller and was internal competition with Boeing's 737-800. The MD-90s originally were supposed to replace the 727s in Delta's fleet, but the order was soon cancelled in favor of the 737-800.

AndyTLe

I should have clarified. I said that the 717 was a follow-up NOT a replacement to the MD-90 & MD-80. The 717 (MD-95) was a shortened version of the the 80/90.

Delta 764

I woudn't say that the 717 was actually a shrink of the MD-80/MD-90. I would call it a modernized version of the DC-9-30 with more fuel efficient engines, new cockpit, and new cabin interior. The 717 did not have the weight issues traditionally associated with shrinks (such as the MD-87 and 737-600), and was rather lightweight (lighter than the 737-600 and A318) at the time for aircraft in its class.

prosen

What is the version of the MD-?? they fly for the Shuttle LGA-BOS? These guys are feeling a little bit old imho. Some of their vibrations/noises are unsettling.

brown069

Those are MD-88s. If you think they're old and unsettling, fly one of American's Super 80 aircraft one day!!

javajunkie

The most noticeable exterior change to me was the loss of the "eye-brow" windows on some variants (-2BL?) of the 717 (ie on YX).

jackal

Last month (can't believe I didn't think to post here until now, duh...), I took my first flight on an MD-90 on DL (been on plenty of AS MD-80s but never an MD-90). I had seat 13A, which, unfortunately, was missing a window (which seatguru.com didn't mention anything about). As I sat down in my seat, I noticed that the wall next to me sounded like a jet engine and was vibrating, which I thought was strange, as the engines were 24+ rows behind me. The wall was also almost hot to the touch.

By craning my neck to see out the window behind me, I could see that there was a large yellow tube that appeared to be inflated and, as best as I could see, was attached to the left side of the aircraft somewhere about directly underneath where my window should have been and which ran to somewhere underneath the jetway. Shortly before pushback, I heard what sounded like the jet engine spool down and the yellow exhaust tube deflated and was detached and dragged away.

I've never seen anything similar on any other aircraft, not even on AS MD-80s. What is it? Some sort of APU exhaust vent? (If so, why would they have turned it off before pushback but before the main engines were started? And the location is strange: it seems like most APU exhaust ports are located at the very rear tip of the a/c...)

I originally thought it may have been unique to my aircraft, but I saw another MD-90 (or 80 or 88; don't know what it was just by looking at it) parked at another gate with the yellow tube attached and inflated (I was only able to see the right side of that plane, so I couldn't see exactly where it was attached). Interesting that seatguru.com doesn't mention it...