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Glad I Flew Non-Stop in a Center Seat ...

 
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Old Jul 7, 2005, 1:49 pm
  #1  
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Glad I Flew Non-Stop in a Center Seat ...

Last night I was booked BOS to ATL to SLC (leaving BOS at 5:10 pm). The connection flight was about $300 cheaper. I was upgraded on both segments. I tried to do same-day confirmed on the non-stop between BOS and SLC, but it was sold out. I did regular/old fashioned standby and got a center seat for the 5 hour flight. The flight got me home 3 hours earlier than the ATL connection. I then heard that ATL had bad storms last night (7/6) and wondered about my ATL to SLC flight. Instead of arriving at 10:47 pm, it arrived at 2:53 am.

I felt a little better about my center seat ...

I hope fellow FlyerTalk members avoided ATL last night ..

Happydad
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Old Jul 7, 2005, 2:53 pm
  #2  
 
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Originally Posted by happydad100
Last night I was booked BOS to ATL to SLC (leaving BOS at 5:10 pm). The connection flight was about $300 cheaper. I was upgraded on both segments. I tried to do same-day confirmed on the non-stop between BOS and SLC, but it was sold out. I did regular/old fashioned standby and got a center seat for the 5 hour flight. The flight got me home 3 hours earlier than the ATL connection. I then heard that ATL had bad storms last night (7/6) and wondered about my ATL to SLC flight. Instead of arriving at 10:47 pm, it arrived at 2:53 am.

I felt a little better about my center seat ...

I hope fellow FlyerTalk members avoided ATL last night ..

Happydad
Very few people would have given up their confirmed upgrade connection for a center seat on the nonstop. In this case, your common sense saved you 4 or 5 hours of elapsed travel time, not to mention all the "connection anxiety" that would have been with you had you stuck to your original ATL plan.
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Old Jul 7, 2005, 3:00 pm
  #3  
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Well, somebody's got to sit in the middle seats if DL has a prayer of making any money. A happy passenger is just a bonus!
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Old Jul 7, 2005, 3:22 pm
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Originally Posted by RobertS975
Very few people would have given up their confirmed upgrade connection for a center seat on the nonstop. In this case, your common sense saved you 4 or 5 hours of elapsed travel time, not to mention all the "connection anxiety" that would have been with you had you stuck to your original ATL plan.
LOL! I guess I'm one of those few people w/out common sense!
I would have much preferred the confirmed F flights even with the delays/ weather issues. Sometimes being delayed or diverted is fun as long as you dont have a certain time to be at your destination.

Recently I was on a DL flight in F and we diverted to HSV due to tstorms in ATL. It was fun b/c we sat on the tarmac for about an hour, but were able to drink and talk to the crew. I guess it all really depends on each person... I would not, however, have had such a wonderful diversion experience had I been in Coach.
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Old Jul 7, 2005, 3:56 pm
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Happydad100 - One of the best posts I have read in a while. It is always great to get home. Bravo and thanks for the post.
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Old Jul 7, 2005, 4:17 pm
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Well, as for me it would have depended what kind of plane it was. If it was something like a 767-400 to SLC or anything larger than a 737-800 from BOS I'd have taken the upgrade. Anyway, glad you stayed out of Atlanta last night. Pretty much everything to and from RIC was delayed about 2 hours.
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Old Jul 7, 2005, 7:52 pm
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happydad100,

You made the right choice. After getting upgraded quite a bit, it's really not fun to be delayed for hours and hours, just for a ride up front. I guess for a SilverMedallion, it still might be fun. We tried to get on this flight two weeks ago, but because I was with my friend who is an FO, we couldn't stand by for the flight, and SDC wasn't available. We ended up on our original flight, connecting in DCA. Lucky you!
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Old Jul 7, 2005, 8:10 pm
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Originally Posted by N808DE
LOL! I guess I'm one of those few people w/out common sense!
I would have much preferred the confirmed F flights even with the delays/ weather issues. Sometimes being delayed or diverted is fun as long as you dont have a certain time to be at your destination.

Recently I was on a DL flight in F and we diverted to HSV due to tstorms in ATL. It was fun b/c we sat on the tarmac for about an hour, but were able to drink and talk to the crew. I guess it all really depends on each person... I would not, however, have had such a wonderful diversion experience had I been in Coach.
It's all fun and games until you end up standed at the hub. If one is diverted, better in FC. But assume the weather at your origin and your destination are both great... why put your plans at peril for the luxury of the wider seat and the booze... meals certainly aren't worth it. Is $15 worth of booze worth three or four hours?

Ask yourselves this... if you ever received the standard DL FC meal at a restaurant, not a fancy joint, just a local reataurant, would you ever eat there again?
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Old Jul 7, 2005, 8:43 pm
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Originally Posted by RobertS975
It's all fun and games until you end up standed at the hub. If one is diverted, better in FC. But assume the weather at your origin and your destination are both great... why put your plans at peril for the luxury of the wider seat and the booze... meals certainly aren't worth it. Is $15 worth of booze worth three or four hours?

Ask yourselves this... if you ever received the standard DL FC meal at a restaurant, not a fancy joint, just a local reataurant, would you ever eat there again?

I guess its all relative. The possible overnight at the hub wasn't even considered and, no, I wouldn't want to do that. As for the FC meal...we all know that no one flies F for the food.
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Old Jul 7, 2005, 8:43 pm
  #10  
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Originally Posted by happydad100
Last night I was booked BOS to ATL to SLC (leaving BOS at 5:10 pm). The connection flight was about $300 cheaper. I was upgraded on both segments. I tried to do same-day confirmed on the non-stop between BOS and SLC, but it was sold out. I did regular/old fashioned standby and got a center seat for the 5 hour flight. The flight got me home 3 hours earlier than the ATL connection. I then heard that ATL had bad storms last night (7/6) and wondered about my ATL to SLC flight. Instead of arriving at 10:47 pm, it arrived at 2:53 am.

I felt a little better about my center seat ...

I hope fellow FlyerTalk members avoided ATL last night ..

Happydad
happydad100 Good call and a great post. Sometimes it really is not about upgrades.


^
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Old Jul 7, 2005, 9:12 pm
  #11  
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Just amazing how many of us would put up with hours and hours more travel time just to sit in first (me included). What kind on sick life do we lead?
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Old Jul 7, 2005, 9:48 pm
  #12  
 
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I'm glad you had the foresight to check on weather conditions and arrived at the airport early enough to standby for the nonstop BOS-SLC. I was in the same situation last month but was just plain ignorant of the weather down south. I saw the 5pm BOS-ATL departure move back until making the ATL-SLC connection was impossible. I opted for the first flight of the day next morning.

Congratulations on your foresight and aviation weather savvy!

I did wonder if I had signed up for the Delta flight notifications I would have been a little better prepared.

How about those BOS-SLC SLC-BOS nonstops? They are popular! I hope they bring back the 757 on that route. I miss good old flight 1776.

Jim

Originally Posted by happydad100
Last night I was booked BOS to ATL to SLC (leaving BOS at 5:10 pm). The connection flight was about $300 cheaper. I was upgraded on both segments. I tried to do same-day confirmed on the non-stop between BOS and SLC, but it was sold out. I did regular/old fashioned standby and got a center seat for the 5 hour flight. The flight got me home 3 hours earlier than the ATL connection. I then heard that ATL had bad storms last night (7/6) and wondered about my ATL to SLC flight. Instead of arriving at 10:47 pm, it arrived at 2:53 am.

I felt a little better about my center seat ...

I hope fellow FlyerTalk members avoided ATL last night ..

Happydad
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Old Jul 7, 2005, 9:55 pm
  #13  
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Originally Posted by NoStressHere
Just amazing how many of us would put up with hours and hours more travel time just to sit in first (me included). What kind on sick life do we lead?
I would happily put up with extra hours in an airport for an upgrade on an international flight. I would not put up with more than two extra hours in a plane nor would I put up with even one extra hour for a domestic flight.
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Old Jul 7, 2005, 10:09 pm
  #14  
 
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Originally Posted by Jim Quan
How about those BOS-SLC SLC-BOS nonstops? They are popular! I hope they bring back the 757 on that route. I miss good old flight 1776.

Jim
Long, long ago, there used to be 3 757 flights to BOS from SLC... Those days are gone

The should bring back the 757 on the morning SLC-BOS, and then the 757 return that afternoon, BOS-SLC. They can keep the other flight a 738 as far as I'm concerned!
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Old Jul 8, 2005, 5:39 am
  #15  
 
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Originally Posted by NoStressHere
Just amazing how many of us would put up with hours and hours more travel time just to sit in first (me included). What kind on sick life do we lead?
The tail wags the dog... more hours in the air, connection time added in, but the payoff is more MQMs.
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