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The Great Autumn Mileage Run of 2002

The Great Autumn Mileage Run of 2002

Old Oct 1, 2002, 8:32 pm
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
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The Great Autumn Mileage Run of 2002

Autumn arrived in Denali National Park about three weeks ago. It was snowing on the high passes during my final drive of the season out to Eielson Visitor Center. Many of the 163 species of birds indigenous to the park have already left for the winter. I’m heading south as well, though I’m hardly migrating. I reckon to be back by November unless something really interesting comes up down in the Lower 48. For now however, I’m looking forward to a fairly extensive Autumn Mileage Run. Over the past month or so, some incredibly low fares have been offered for cross-country round trips. My thanks go out to keithguy and all the contributors in the Mileage Run forum for enlightening me to some of the great deals out there. Here’s what I’ve reserved and paid for so far:

16 Sep NW~SMF-MSP-DTW-MEM-MSY
17 Sep NW~MSY-MEM-DTW-MSP-SMF $167.50
18 Sep NW~SMF-MSP-DTW-MEM-MSY
19 Sep NW~MSY-DTW-MSP-SMF $167.50
21 Sep NW~SJC-DTW-MEM-MSY
23 Sep NW~MSY-MEM-MSP-SJC $199.00
24 Sep CO~SFO-IAH-TPA * NW~TPA-MEM-BNA
25 Sep NW~BNA-MEM-FLL * CO~FLL-IAH-SFO $89.00
25 Sep NW~SFO-DTW
26 Sep NW~DTW-BNA
28 Sep NW~BNA-DTW-SFO $90.00
30 Sep NW~LAX-MSP-DTW-BDL
01 Oct NW~BDL-DTW-MSP-LAX $139.00


Obviously, this is no little eight flight ditty, across the country or ocean and back in a weekend. The total distance to be flown is 33,340 actual flight miles aboard 36 flights. There are some worthwhile bonuses to be considered as well. For starters, Alaska Airlines is offering a 1000 mile per segment bonus on all Northwest flights taken through September 30th. With the exception of the October 1st return flights from Hartford to Los Angeles, this promotion alone will accrue me an additional 31,000 bonus miles. As an Alaska MVP Gold, I’ll also receive double mileage on all the Northwest flights. Finally, since all this flying takes me over the 75,000 mile threshold in Alaska’s Mileage Plan, I’ll also receive an additional bonus of 50,000 miles. Total cost to me for the airline tickets: $852.00. Total mileage accrued: 154,090 miles.

I’m also looking forward to flying aboard my first 757-300 along with a good number of ancient DC-9-30s, 40s and 50s. In addition to Northwest, I believe Allegiant Air, Air Tran, Midwest Express and Spirit Airlines may still fly an old DC-9 dash 30 or two. Mexico’s Aero California definitely does. For the most part, however, the early DC-9s have been retired from passenger service in North America. Northwest has done a nice job of refurbishing their Nines, and with 2-3 seating in coach they offer perhaps the widest coach seat in the fleet.

The flying portion of this trip starts in Sacramento, California - not Alaska. So, I’ll be driving the 3000 miles down to California. I drive a 1988 Mazda B-2200 pick-up truck and this’ll be my 23rd time driving it between Alaska and the contiguous United States or, in Alaskan terminology, the Lower 48. I consider this trip one of the world’s great drives. Mountains, lakes, rivers, tundra, forests, wildlife – it has it all! Even so, many people are put off by the great distance or the remoteness of the route and prefer to fly. Indeed, many simply don’t have the time to drive up and back. Too bad. I’ve lived out in the wide open spaces all my life and even these days think nothing of driving 122 miles one way from Denali up to Fairbanks just to get groceries. Granted, I enjoy driving. My trusty Mazda, which I bought new on Valentines Day in 1988, has driven through all 49 states and most of western Canada. Just last week the odometer rolled over 400,000 miles. I celebrated this milestone by adding a quart of oil and replacing the spark plug wires. I then loaded my gear in the back, threw in a box full of CDs for the drive south, and headed on down the Alaska Highway.

Fall colors were out in abundance as I drove through the Yukon and Northern British Columbia. The weather was spectacular and the wildlife surprisingly abundant. I saw a moose and a couple of Dall sheep between Fairbanks and Whitehorse. Particularly memorable was a big chocolate grizzly that loped across the road just outside of Destruction Bay. Truly a beautiful bear!

I did encounter a brief scare the next day when a hose used to circulate coolant around the engine sprung a leak about 200 miles north of Fort Nelson, BC. When driving the Alaska Highway, 200 miles north of anywhere means just that. It’ll be 200 miles until you encounter anything more than a small roadhouse with a couple of gasoline pumps out front. It’s not at all like breaking down 200 miles out of Toledo, Ohio.

Long drives are a fact of life in Alaska and I always keep a good spare tire, an extra fan belt and an alternator on hand along with some basic tools. The hose in question, despite costing only $3.70, is vital to the operation of the vehicle. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a spare but I did have a half roll of electrical tape. I taped the hose as best I could and hoped that between the tape and additional antifreeze, I might possibly limp into Fort Nelson for more substantive repairs. I made it about 70 miles down the road to Toad River before determining that a more substantive solution was required NOW. Toad River consisted of a café with attached garage and a couple of cabins out back. As might be expected however, the garage had no hose for me. It was 7:00pm and darkness was fast approaching. I figured I could spend an extra day, maybe even a day and a half trying to correct this problem before I’d have to consider canceling out of my first roundtrip from Sacramento.

As I pondered my options with hood up and engine steaming, a trucker sauntered by, looked over my situation, then mentioned that he had some extra air hose that might just be the right size. Luckily for me it was and within an hour I had the new hose on and was back on my way down the road. When I got to Seattle, the second thing I did was pull into a Mazda dealership and purchase an extra hose.

Friends whom I would normally have visited with in Seattle were off backpacking around India and Nepal so I spent a most enjoyable evening at the Blue Moon Tavern off 45th Street, then crawled into the back of my truck which I’d parked just around the corner. I’ve got a full mattress and a couple of pillows back there along with a headlamp and plenty of books. I can stretch out fully and am as comfortable there as I’d be in most any hotel bed.

In Portland I stayed at one of my favorite places, the Hawthorne Street Hostel. Portland’s Hawthorne District is home to most of Portland’s hippies and alternative culture types. Occasionally a young intellectual from Reed College can also be spotted in Powell’s Bookstore or one of the many coffee shops. Although there are some great hotel deals available in Portland through Priceline.com, I’d sooner stay at the Hawthorne Street Hostel than the Westin or Sheraton. Given my background and life experience, I find the social and cultural spice of areas like Portland’s Hawthorne District far more homelike and comfortable than the corporate elegance of the downtown hotels. The hostel is funky and comfortable and comes with a breakfast of coffee and pancakes in the morning.

So, on to the airborne portion of the trip. Of course, this is yet another report dealing with domestic First and Economy Class service. Many of you have perhaps already stopped reading and moved on to the potentially more entertaining reports of someone’s vacation in Europe or Asia or an exciting accounting of First or Business Class service aboard an airline far more exotic than Northwest or Continental. Still, for those of you diehards and anyone else interested in reading about what’s up of late with NW and CO’s inflight services, I hope you’ll find this report enjoyable reading.


16 September
SMF-MSP 905a-226p NORTHWEST A320-211 N306NW First Class Seat 3D 1520
MSP-DTW 320p-613p NORTHWEST 757-351 N581NW Coach Class Seat 18D 530
DTW-MEM 700p-800p NORTHWEST DC-9-40 N751NW Coach Class Seat 5F 610
MEM-MSY 940p-1051p NORTHWEST DC-9-50 N401EA First Class Seat 2A 350
TOTAL MILES FLOWN: 3010 TOTAL MILES EARNED: 10320


Sacramento’s airport is located about 10 miles north of the downtown district. It is surrounded by acres and acres of farmland and perhaps a cow or two. I parked out in the Back 40, a.k.a. the Economy parking lot, a real deal at only $7.00 per day. From there, I hopped aboard a shuttle bus to the terminal. Normally this wouldn’t be worthy of much mention but the bus this morning was driven by one of the most polite and diligent airport shuttle bus drivers I’ve ever encountered. Driving a small bus back and forth between crowded parking lots and airport terminals at a top speed of perhaps 20mph is hardly a job many people would enjoy and it usually shows in their overall demeanor and performance. This morning’s driver was a pleasant exception, however. He was cheerful and informative and always available at the bus doorway to help people on and off the bus with their luggage. Even so, I couldn’t help but notice that not one person off of our fairly full bus bothered to tip him. Now I realize that tipping is hardly mandatory in situations like this but when a person takes the time to turn drudgery into an art form, and do so cheerfully, I feel that’s worth a little bonus. I gave him a couple of bucks and if I see him in a couple of days when I fly back out of here again, I’ll make sure to have a fiver on hand.

Check in was quick and painless. I requested a seat on the D side of the cabin as I knew the view to the south, looking towards southern Nevada, Utah and northern Colorado would be far more scenic than the view to the north.

First Class checked in full today – 16 up front and many more in the back. Prior to departure, an announcement was made advising us that a passenger on board was highly allergic to peanuts, so please, no peanuts, anyone.

The breakfast orders were taken as soon as we’d leveled out and were described as follows:

“We have eggs, French Toast or Cereal.”

I wanted a hot breakfast so I chose the eggs. My seatmate chose the French Toast. Breakfast was served from the cart, meaning our FA first produced a linen covered tray preset with a bowl of yogurt, a bowl of fruit and utensils wrapped in a napkin. He then pulled out the hot entrée dish and removed the tin foil before placing it on the tray and handing it to me. A choice of a blueberry muffin or a bagel was offered, followed by a refill on my coffee. Not exactly Cathay Pacific in style or presentation, but hey! At least we were offered a hot meal!

My entree was a plain egg omelet wallowing in a buttery cheese sauce and accompanied by a decent portion of roasted potatoes and two link sausages. I found it all quite tasty though the saturated fat and cholesterol count must’ve been off the charts. My seatmate’s French toast looked a bit on the dry side and was accompanied by a thick slice of Canadian bacon. Given the current choices, next time I think I’ll have the cereal and fruit plate.

I really think that Northwest ought to seriously consider offering a healthier omelet. I know, I know – conventional wisdom says that if you want to eat healthy, just go with the fruit plate. Fruit plates are nice but on a three hour or longer flight, I quite like a hot breakfast. Eggs are an extremely popular breakfast entrée as evidenced by the fact that they are usually the first to go whenever there is a choice of entrees. They’re certainly not unhealthy unless they’re prepared in an unhealthy way. It would be quite simple and perhaps even less expensive to offer something like a Spanish Omelet with a tomato based sauce, hold the cheese. Drop the pork sausage and go with something leaner like ham or turkey sausage instead. The roasted potatoes are good. Broiled tomatoes are tasty, too.

While I’m on the subject of food, I should mention that whilst perusing the inflight magazine I came across Northwest’s monthly wine offerings. It was pointed out that Northwest’s domestic First Class wine list recently won first place in Business Traveler magazine’s Cellar In The Sky wine competition. Here are September’s choices:

Coastal Ridge California Chardonnay 1999
This is a Chardonnay oozing tropical fruit, green apple aromas and a full cornucopia of fruit flavor, especially tangerine flavors that go on and on. It’s full bodied in character, and balanced with crisp, bright fruit acidity.

Rosemount Diamond Shiraz/Cabernet 2001
This fabulous blend is packed with bright, fresh fruit aromas and flavors, combining the rich, plumy, spicy characteristics of Shiraz with the fresh berry fruit character of the Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s rich in blackberry and plum flavors on the palate, and nice currant spice on the finish.

Monterra Monterey Chardonnay 1999
The fruit selected for this wine was harvested from some of the oldest vineyard blocks on the San Bernabe Vineyard in southern Monterey County. The aroma is of fresh pears, ripe green apples, and tropical fruits encompassing an enticing butterscotch foundation. In the mouth the wine is full bodied, rich and silky and reminiscent of pineapple, coconut and lemon peel. The long, rich finish is enhanced by hints of spicy oak.

LaPlaya Merlot 1999
This Bordeaux-like Chilean Merlot offers a pleasant black raspberry and dark chocolate nose, a medium-bodied palate with subtle smoke, plum, tobacco and vanilla flavors and polished tannins framing the forward fruit. This is an easy drinking wine.

If I didn’t know better, I’d swear these were the same wines offered back in July. And, having just now reviewed my July report detailing the gastronomic pleasures and/or shortcomings of AS and NW, I can now tell you they are exactly the same! Ah well, I’ll have to keep an eye out for that Rosemount Diamond Shiraz/Cabernet. I think Rosemount’s Diamond Shiraz is consistently one of the best wine values out there (I’ve read AA serves it on its domestic First Class flights), so I’m most interested in trying this particular blend. To date, the best Shiraz/Cabernet blend I’ve enjoyed has been Penfold’s Bin 389 but at $23.00/bottle that’s probably a bit pricey for a domestic First Class wine.

As we taxied into the gate at MSP, we rolled past the aircraft for my next flight – N581NW – a beautiful new 757-351. What a long airplane! I wonder how it compares lengthwise with the old DC-8-61/71s?

If you’re not at least a Northwest Gold or Platinum Elite, your chances of upgrading on one of NW’s MSP-DTW intra-hub flights during the busy 3:00-8:00pm period are slim to none. As such, I boarded the aircraft and wandered back to seat 18D, on the aisle. What’s this?! Could it be that Northwest has added an inch or two of seat pitch to the economy cabins of their new 757-300s? I can’t say for a fact but the last time I flew in economy aboard an NW 757-200 was just this summer and I remember it as being far more cramped. Otherwise, the only other difference I could discern between this aircraft and NW’s smaller 757-200s was the addition of dropdown TV screens every two rows. The First Class cabin remained at 24 seats and the colors and fabrics throughout the interior were identical to the rest of Northwest’s fleet.

My onward flights to Memphis and New Orleans were unremarkable except that they were both aboard older DC-9s, including a rare DC-9-40 between Detroit and Memphis. While I’ve heard some people complain about flying aboard the DC-9s, I like them. Northwest has refurbished the interiors on their entire DC-9 fleet. I find their seating to be just as comfortable as anything else in the fleet. As for the safety considerations, Northwest has a comparatively excellent safety record and I’m confident that these airplanes are well maintained. As well, I’m pretty sure that over the years there have been more questions and concerns over Boeing’s 737 family than there’ve been over any of the DC-9 derivatives.

We arrived in New Orleans on time at 10:50pm. I collected my backpack from baggage claim and wandered about the airport until I found a suitable place to set up camp for the night. Upstairs, under a hanging sculpture of a man with home built wings, was a small dark carpeted area. It was perfect. I considered briefly that the sculpture might be of Icarus but quickly dismissed that notion when I saw that the guy was ascending rather than plummeting. I blew up my Thermarest pad, stashed my daypack and wallet inside my backpack, and set out my pillow on the end of the pack. I then read a bit and slept fairly soundly until 8:00am.

17 September
MSY-MEM 1040a-1157a NORTHWEST DC-9-30 N958N First Class Seat 2A 350
MEM-DTW 100p-349p NORTHWEST 757-251 N502US First Class Seat 2D 610
DTW-MSP 514p-611p NORTHWEST 757-251 N528US Coach Class Seat 16D 530
MSP-SMF 914p-1055p NORTHWEST A320-211 N313NW First Class Seat 2A 1520
TOTAL MILES FLOWN: 3010 TOTAL MILES EARNED: 10320


After locating a deserted bathroom downstairs off the baggage claim area, I washed up, changed my shirt and presented myself at the Northwest counter. I was able to upgrade on all but the DTW-MSP segment of my journey today, so with my backpack checked and boarding passes in hand, I sauntered off to the nearby cafeteria for a coffee, a fruit plate and an order of beignets.

In Memphis, I arrived at Gate B-6 and so had time to visit Northwest’s WorldClub, just a short stroll away off the entrance to the B Concourse. Despite Memphis being a huge hub for Northwest, only one WorldClub is provided. It is a beautiful facility though – one of the newly refurbished clubs that I’ve raved about in previous reports. These new WorldClubs are, I think, the finest airline lounges in the country. I encourage any of you “slumming” about in Admirals Clubs and Red Carpet Clubs (I’ve been a member in both) to visit one of the new World Clubs in Detroit, Memphis or Minneapolis on the C Concourse. Only Continental’s Presidents Clubs rival them for sheer elegance.

I had thought that my flight up to Detroit, with a 1:00pm departure time, might offer at least a snack up in First Class. Once informed otherwise, I decided to see what might be available for purchase in the Memphis airport. Out on the B Concourse at least, the fast food selection was abysmal. Of the franchise operations, there were a Cinnabon, a Kentucky Fried Chicken, a McDonalds Express and a Pizza Hut. I would’ve happily purchased a grilled chicken sandwich from either the Colonel or Mickey D’s but none was available – The KFC offered only chicken fingers in varying combinations while McDonalds offered only their basic burgers and the fried chicken sandwich. As for the Pizza Hut, well, I’ve had too many really gooood pizzas to ever get very enthused about their fare and though I’ve never had a Cinnabon, they smell so good I just know that one of these days I’m gonna break down and buy one. One franchise I’ve seen in a growing number of airports is Sbarro’s. They offer some fairly quick and decent pastas to go. I wished there were one in Memphis on the B Concourse. I settled on a little sandwich stand selling fairly basic pre-made sandwiches at high prices. I bought a turkey sandwich for $7.09 and headed off to my flight.

I had a three hour layover in Minneapolis which I enjoyed in Northwest’s fine C Concourse WorldClub. I didn’t mind the layover because I managed to get a lot of work done including some on this report. One of the nicest things about Northwest’s new WorldClubs is that they don’t skimp on work areas. There were plenty of well lit desks available along with a copier and fax machine. The club at the head of the F and G Concourses also offers a computer (with Office 97 but no internet) and a printer.

The last time I flew a 9:00pm MSP-West Coast flight was back in December 2001. A snack consisting of a sandwich, salad and dessert was served in First Class. These days that service has been downgraded to passing around a large snack basket offering:

Apples
Bananas
Roasted Almonds
Toblerone Chocolates
Oreo Cookies
Dried Fruit
Sun Chips
Pretzels

I selected an apple, some almonds and a glass of that Rosemount Diamond Shiraz/Cabernet I’d been curious about. For an $8.00 bottle of wine, I found it quite tasty! Next time I’ll be sure to grab some cheese and crackers from the World Club before taking one of these 9:00pm “snack” flights.

Upon arrival in Sacramento, I boarded the shuttle to the Economy parking lot and hopped in the back of my truck for the night.

18 September
SMF-MSP 905a-226p NORTHWEST A320-211 N334NW First Class Seat 2D 1520
MSP-DTW 320p-613p NORTHWEST 757-351 N581NW First Class Seat 1B 350
DTW-MEM 700p-800p NORTHWEST DC-9-50 N765NC Coach Class Seat 5F 610
MEM-MSY 940p-1051p NORTHWEST DC-9-50 N777NC First Class Seat 3A 350
TOTAL MILES FLOWN: 3010 TOTAL MILES EARNED: 10320


Breakfast was served somewhere over western Nevada. The only difference in today’s breakfast versus that of two days ago was that the eggs were scrambled. I opted for the French toast and found it OK as airline French toast goes. Next breakfast, I’m definitely gonna order the cereal.

Given the upgrade potential – or lack thereof – on these mid-afternoon MSP-DTW flights, about 15 minutes before departure time I just went ahead and got in line to board the plane. I was about three people from presenting my boarding pass to the gate agent when my name was called to approach the podium. Huh? Could it be? Indeed it could! I was given a new boarding pass indicating Seat 1B and so headed on down the jetway with a new spring in my step.

On shorter flights like MSP-DTW, Northwest offers First Class passengers a beverage service accompanied by a snack basket containing a choice of pretzels, peanuts or shortbread cookies. Today however, the peanuts had been replaced by roasted almonds. My seatmate commented on this to the Flight Attendant and was told that Northwest plans to discontinue serving peanuts. Great! Almonds are much tastier anyway. My seatmate then proceeded to down FOUR gin and tonics over the course of the short flight into Detroit. I thought something might be up when he received his first drink. He tore right into it like a wild boar into truffles! At the rate he was going, had we been flying to, say, New York, he probably would have needed wheelchair assistance off the airplane! I also noticed that on the next pass of the snack basket, the almonds had been replaced by peanuts.

We were about 25 minutes late arriving into Detroit so I decided to have dinner in Memphis as I’d have an hour and forty minute layover there. This turned out to be a fortuitous decision as I discovered a little Barbecue restaurant down on the B concourse that was well worth the visit. Now I’m no barbecue connoisseur but I thought the half chicken dinner I ordered was quite good and, considering it came with decent sized portions of coleslaw and baked beans, very affordably priced at only $7.00. A variety of sandwiches were offered at equally attractive prices as well as some larger plated dinners. The name of this place is Jim Neely’s Interstate Bar BQ and it’s located right next door to Gate B14. It’s also right next door – no, make that attached to the Tennessee Tavern where you can grab a cold pint with your meal. I highly recommend a visit.

19 September
MSY-DTW 900a-1234p NORTHWEST DC-9-30 N603NW First Class Seat 1A 930
DTW-MSP 145p-231p NORTHWEST DC-9-50 N778NC Coach Class Seat 7C 530
MSP-SMF 530p-721p NORTHWEST A320-200 N304US First Class Seat 2A 1520
TOTAL MILES FLOWN: 2980 TOTAL MILEAGE EARNED: 10670


This morning I was up and at ‘em by 8:00am. My scheduled flight to Detroit and points westward did not depart until 12:15pm. There was however a 9:00am departure to Detroit that, if I were able to successfully standby for subsequent connecting flights to Minneapolis and on to Sacramento, would get me back out to the west coast at 7:30pm. I could be headin’ into the Sierras by sunset!

I checked in with the same agent I’d encountered two days earlier. I remembered that she’d thought my routing back to Sacramento (MSY-MEM-DTW-MSP-SMF) was a bit odd, so imagine her surprise to see me standing back in front of her this morning, ready to do it all over again. Once again, I explained the concept of a Mileage Run and mentioned Alaska’s 1000 mile per NW segment promotion. She agreed that I certainly was getting my money’s worth but she still couldn’t come to grips with the idea that I’d come all the way to New Orleans without visiting any of the usual attractions. I explained to her that I’d enjoyed New Orleans’ hospitality on more than a couple of occasions and would be back on Sunday, this time for a full day during which I fully intended to visit the French Quarter for a bit of music and fine Creole food. She laughed and shook her head in wonderment, then recommended I visit Felix’s Oyster Bar down on Bourbon St.. She had a fun personality and it would’ve been nice to chat longer with her but a couple of customers had shown up in the First Class check-in line and so I collected my boarding passes and headed for the gate, promising to pay a visit to ol’ Felix on Sunday.

Breakfast today was a choice of a cheese omelet or Raisin Bran. I opted for the Raisin Bran and was pleasantly surprised to receive a good sized bowlful along with a banana, a bowl of fruit and a choice of a bagel or muffin. For you sticklers on inflight service out there, this meal varied from NW’s longer SMF-MSP service in that there were only two entrée choices, no yogurt, and the fruit was served in a smaller porcelain bowl as opposed to the slightly larger and more stylish glass bowl employed on the longer services. Given the length of the flight, I thought this was a pretty good breakfast.

I must be living a charmed existence of late for not only did I clear standby on my desired flight out of Detroit to Minneapolis, but I also managed an upgrade on the longer segment into Sacramento. I was particularly thankful since the flight out to Sacramento embodied everything I particularly enjoy about flying – a long flight in First Class, heading westbound at sunset, that also offered a full dinner service. As an added bonus, my seat assignment was: that’s right: 2A.

It was cloudy as we took off from Minneapolis but within minutes we’d broken through the cloud cover and I was soon enjoying my first ice cold James Page Lager. Since rediscovering Northwest two years ago, I’ve taken a real liking to this beer. In my book, it’s right up there with Alaska Airlines’ offering of MacTarnahan’s Ale as one of the finest beers aloft.

I am pleased to report that the service this evening began with a round of hot, lightly scented Oshibori towels. I hadn’t seen them on Northwest for some time and assumed they’d been a victim of budget cuts. The beverage cart came next, followed by Northwest’s snack basket offering roasted almonds, pretzels or shortbread cookies. I’ve always thought the shortbread was an odd addition but will write it off as a Midwestern affectation unless someone tells me differently.

Of course, no menus were distributed but here nonetheless are the dinner offerings presented in menu form:

Minneapolis to Sacramento

DINNER

To Begin

A selection of seasoned Gulf shrimp served with a tangy mango dipping sauce and fresh pineapple salsa

Salad
Endive lettuce accompanied by sliced orange, strawberry and walnuts
Offered with Fat Free Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing

Bread Roll


** ** **

Main Course

Cajun Chicken
A tender baked chicken breast dusted in Cajun spices and accompanied by roasted potatoes and a colorful medley of peppers, corn and onions

Ziti Pasta with Italian Sausage
Ziti pasta and zesty Italian sausage are topped with a rich Alfredo sauce, then baked to perfection

** ** **

Ice Cream Sundae
Served from the cart with your choice of toppings: Chocolate, strawberry or chopped walnuts


I requested the Cajun Chicken and accompanied it with a glass of the Rosemount Cab/Shiraz. The shrimp appetizer (3 large shrimp) was nicely presented in a clear glass bowl with a cup of dipping sauce and a small portion of the pineapple salsa on the side. It was delicious! I was reminded of the good old days on United back in the mid-eighties when I used to enjoy appetizers of similar quality and presentation. The main entrée was quite good as well. The chicken breast was of good size, lightly seasoned, and perhaps most importantly was moist and tender rather than overcooked, a malady which plagues many an entrée involving chicken breasts. There weren’t many potatoes but the pepper and corn medley made a nice accompaniment. In all, a very nice dinner by today’s stripped down meal standards. Well done, Northwest!

It occurred to me as I savored the first bite of my ice cream sundae that the only time I ever eat ice cream sundaes is on board airplanes. Anybody else ever notice the same thing? A cup of hot coffee finished off the meal and I spent the remainder of the flight working on this report whilst glancing occasionally out my window. It was a fine evening for flying and I didn’t get much writing done given the beautiful distraction of the American West, gliding by as if on parade. Flaming Gorge Reservoir, the Wasatch Mountains, the Great Salt Lake and Lake Tahoe all passed beneath us before we began our descent into Sacramento over the Sierra Nevada mountains. We landed at sunset on a hot summer evening. The temperature at SMF was reported at 91 degrees and more than a couple of folks gasped at the heat as they stepped off the aircraft and into the hot jetway.

I claimed my backpack and headed off to a USFS campground up above Nevada City, California. It’s a good 3000 feet higher than the valley floor and way cooler. Tomorrow is a no-fly day. I’ll come down and meet some friends in Berkeley for the afternoon, then we’ll head over to the Oakland Coliseum for the A’s game against the Rangers. Although I’ve never lived in California, the A’s have always been the only baseball team I’ve ever cared about. Almost always under funded and under appreciated, back in the early seventies the A’s were also in total defiance of the mainstream who roundly condemned them for their green and yellow uniforms, their mustaches, their cantankerous odd ball owner and their overall style. This while they were winning three straight World Series. I first heard about the A’s right before the 1974 World Series against those nice clean cut All-American young men known as the Los Angeles Dodgers. What the American mainstream found fault with, I found at once original and endearing and still do. In any event, it’ll be nice to get a break from flying for a day. This trip will resume out of San Jose Saturday morning.

21 September
SJC-DTW 835a-412p NORTHWEST A319-100 N306NB First Class Seat 2D 2060
DTW-MEM 700p-800p NORTHWEST DC-9-50 N671MC First Class Seat 2D 610
MEM-MSY 940p-1051p NORTHWEST DC-9-31 N8986E Coach Class Seat 6A 350
TOTAL MILES FLOWN: 3020 TOTAL MILEAGE EARNED: 9340


The A’s won last night’s game against the Rangers 4-2 and maintained their one game lead over the Cinderella Anaheim Angels who beat the once mighty but now also-ran Seattle Mariners. I slept soundly with visions of the A’s finally taking a Game Seven ALCS victory over the Yankees. Of course, I’ve had this dream the past two seasons and the Yankees have always provided me a rude awakening. Hopefully this year will be different.

There was quite a colorful collection of jets parked on the ramp this morning as I walked out to board Northwest’s A319. It was parked between a United A320 and an America West 737-300. On down the line were a Continental 737-500 and an Alaska MD-80. It would have made for a neat photograph had I thought to bring a camera along.

Once again, it was a beautiful day for flying. There must be a huge high pressure system across the western US of late. I haven’t seen any clouds out here for awhile. According to the Captain, our route of flight today would take us right over Lake Tahoe, across northwestern Colorado, central Nebraska and over Lake Michigan before descending into Detroit for an early arrival.

My seatmate was also doing a mileage run – SJC-DTW-SFO today, SFO-DTW-SJC tomorrow. He had one more planned for next weekend after which he would achieve platinum status on his Northwest account. He was quite proud of his frugality, having paid just over $200.00 for each roundtrip. He crowed with glee over accruing 8000 some odd status miles for only $400.00.

I know, I know – I should’ve just let it go but I couldn’t resist. After listening patiently, I asked him if he’d ever heard of FlyerTalk or sites like itn.com or air-fare.com. Huh? What? Then I showed him my itinerary and price per ticket/mileage breakdown. I told him about how I went about finding and booking my $89.00 r/t SFO-BNA via Florida tickets and also told him about NW’s $179.00 SJC-MCO via DTW special that I saw at nwa.com yesterday. He got a bit bug eyed on me and seemed to experience some breathing difficulties but I’ve no doubt he’ll be checking out and enjoying the FT forums soon.

23 September
MSY-MEM 1040a-1157a NORTHWEST DC-9-30 N8929E First Class Seat 2A 350
MEM-MSP 115p-315p NORTHWEST 757-200 N554US First Class Seat 2A 700
MSP-SJC 523p-725p NORTHWEST A320-200 N358NW Coach Class Seat 5C 1580
TOTAL MILES FLOWN: 2630 TOTAL MILES EARNED: 8560


Hurricane Isadore is lurking out in the southern Gulf of Mexico. More than lurking, it’s apparently wreaked some moderate havoc along the Yucatan Peninsula. It looks to be a pretty good sized storm, and, according to the US Weather Service, has the potential to become quite a large storm. The projected storm path has it hitting land in three to four days, somewhere between Corpus Christi and southwest Louisiana. In New Orleans this morning, the skies were cloudy and the breeze stiff. I’ve got to pass through Houston both tomorrow and the next day. This could get interesting.

It was a quick flight up to Memphis – only 54 minutes. As I’d not yet eaten a proper breakfast, upon arrival in Memphis I immediately headed over to Gate 14 and Jim Neely’s Interstate Bar B Q for what USA Today has acclaimed as “The finest Bar-B-Q pork sandwich in the United States.” Well hey! If it’s in USA Today, it must be true! For only $4.79, I got a big ‘ol heapin’ pile a’ delicious barbecued pork piled high atop a big ‘ol hamburger bun. Interestingly, underneath the pork was a layer of coleslaw. I downed that ‘ol sandwich with gusto and a pint of Sam Adams and now add my voice to that of USA Today’s. This was indeed the finest barbecued pork sandwich I have ever eaten!

My connecting flight to Minneapolis was departing from Gate B38, approximately a third of a mile stroll through MEM’s narrow and crowded concourses. This airport looks like it was built in the mid-1970s and as such it’s a very attractive and functional place by mid-1970s standards. By today’s standards however, it’s a bit outmoded and could use a bit of a facelift – mainly a widening of its concourses. I’d hate to be traveling through here during a busy holiday period!

Worth noting: I discovered another barbecue restaurant called Corky’s over by Gate B29. I’ll have to check this out as well sometime.

I was unable to upgrade on the long segment from Minneapolis into San Jose. Not that I was surprised. I should imagine this early evening departure serving the populous South Bay Area is a real money maker for Northwest. Indeed, I considered myself lucky to score seat 5C, a bulkhead aisle seat offering excellent legroom. As an added bonus, since Northwest has no bulkhead between First Class and Coach on their A320s, I also enjoyed a superb view between the last row of First Class seats. I could see exactly what was being served – at least to the passenger in 4A. Looked like Cajun Chicken and Pasta with Sausage again.

Meanwhile, dinner for the masses back in economy was a choice between a Barbecued Chicken or Turkey Breast sandwich. I opted for the chicken sandwich and was not disappointed. In a black styrofoam container, I received one hot barbecued chicken sandwich from Lloyd’s Barbecue Co., a bag of baby carrots, a bag of Old Colony Lemon Cookies and a 4 oz. cup of Glacier Valley Natural Spring Water. (As opposed to Unnatural Spring Water?)

The sandwich was surprisingly good, as were the carrots and cookies. Still, it wasn’t all that filling. I wanted more. I briefly considered getting up real close to the space between the seats on Row 4 and whispering harshly: “Psst! Psssst! Hey! Yeah, you in 4A. Hey, uh… you gonna finish all them shrimp?!!” but discretion got the better of me and I decided to hold my tongue.

Once again, it was a beautiful evening for flying. Out of Minneapolis, we climbed to 39000 feet and headed west over Rapid City before passing to the north of Steamboat Springs, Co., then south of Salt Lake City and finally on into San Jose, approaching from the south. In between, I chatted with my seatmates about everything from water problems in the West to Bill Bryson and Edward Abbey books. In all, a most pleasant 3 hours and 31 minutes of flying time that went by surprisingly fast.

Caltrain got me up to SFO in only an hour and a half. Total cost: $4.50. Had I taken the direct limousine service I would have shelled out $20.00.

24 September
SFO-TPA 630a-425p CONTINENTAL 737-924 N37409 Coach Class Seat 7A 2390
TPA-MEM 705p-758p NORTHWEST 727-200 N288US Coach Class Seat 5A 660
MEM-BNA 925p-1021p NORTHWEST DC-9-51 N600TR Coach Class Seat 15F 200
TOTAL MILES FLOWN: 3280 TOTAL MILES EARNED: 6740


It was 5:30am when I showed up at Continental’s SFO check-in counter. There were only a couple of people in front of me and within minutes I was checked in and on my way to the President’s Club, conveniently located at the far end of the counter.

The San Francisco President’s Club may well be the smallest in the system but it was well stocked with coffee, bagels and the San Francisco Chronicle. I enjoyed all three while recharging my laptop, then headed down to the gate.

This flight was operated with a 737-900, a bit of an overkill given today’s load: Full up front, sparsely populated in the back ~ maybe 30 people total. I was impressed with how quickly the crew closed up the plane, dispensed with the safety briefing and got us up in the air. CO’s 737-900s offer drop down TV screens every three or four rows and as we climbed out of the Bay Area, the channel was set to the SkyMap. I found it interesting that rather than beeline it straight into Houston, we climbed east-northeast over Martinez and Stockton, then due east until we reached cruising altitude about midway across the Sierras before pointing our nose toward Houston for the remainder of the flight. Once again, it was an extremely clear day and we were treated to spectacular views of Nevada’s rugged deserts and Utah’s colorful canyons. Did you ever wonder what the ocean would look like if you drained out all the water and then let it dry out for a few million years? Nevada.

Breakfast in Coach was a no nonsense affair. Here it is:

BREAKFAST

To Begin

A banana

The Main Course

Wheaties Cereal

Presented in its own package, accompanied by a 4oz carton of 2% milk

** ** **

Sweet Endings
An hermetically sealed glazed donut


Coffee and other beverages were offered with breakfast and once again immediately after everything had been cleared. Then, with two hours still to go in the flight, I never saw the beverage cart again.

The movie was a kid flick entitled: Air Bud - Seventh Inning Fetch. Message to Continental: School has been in session for almost four weeks now. Most families won’t be doing any traveling until Thanksgiving. How about something geared towards a more mature audience? The few children/infants on board today didn’t appear old enough to appreciate the subtle nuances intrinsic to a plot involving a baseball playing golden retriever.

While in Houston, I checked out the food court as there would be no meal service between Houston and Tampa. There was a Wendy’s, a Taco Bell, a Pizza Hut, a Popeye’s Chicken and a Barbecue operation I’d never heard of. I had wanted to get a Chicken Caesar salad at Wendy’s but the line was longer than I was patient so I wandered over to the barbecue place, figuring I’d compare it with Jim Neely’s in Memphis. While waiting in line, I saw the cooks putting a barbecued turkey breast sandwich together. The turkey was clearly that prefab turkey roll stuff, over which they ladled some BBQ sauce. No way. I did a quick U-turn and headed over to Popeye’s Fried Chicken. Hey Now! Fatty and greasy perhaps, but also deliciously spicy and served with red beans and rice!

The flight into Tampa was a bit bumpy owing to the influence of Hurricane Isadore just 250 miles to the south. Other than that, I was the envy of everyone around me (except the vegetarians) as the aroma from my chicken wafted over the first three or four rows of coach. There were some pretty impressive thunderheads about as we made our approach into Tampa. Upon landing, the captain really threw on the thrust reversers to the point where the landing went from routine to exciting.

In Tampa, I rechecked my pack through to Nashville and awaited my 717th flight on a 727-200. That’s right, folks. 717 flights. Hey! I keep a log. What can I say? 477,950 miles and 1154+ hours I’ve logged on what I consider one of the prettiest aircraft ever to grace the skies. While I’d love to reach the 500,000 mile mark in this aircraft, it’s unlikely as the 727 isn’t long for American skies. Saddled with three gas guzzling Pratt and Whitney JT8Ds and a three man crew, the 727 simply can’t match the economics of the newer Boeings and Airbuses. I’ll miss it.


25 September
BNA-MEM 630a-735a NORTHWEST DC-9-31 N89S Coach Class Seat 11D 200
MEM-FLL 850a-1208p NORTHWEST DC-9-31 N916RW First Class Seat 1A 850
FLL-ATL 530p-730p DELTA 767-332 N130DL Coach Class Seat 31D 580
ATL-SFO 900p-1045p DELTA 757-232 N688DA Coach Class Seat 16D 2140
TOTAL MILES FLOWN: 3770 TOTAL MILES EARNED: 5930


Today will mark the most grueling day of this little mileage run. Over the next 25 hours, I’ll take a 5720 mile circuitous journey around the country, departing Nashville for Memphis, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, San Francisco, Detroit and finally back to Nashville, arriving tomorrow morning at 745am. No problem! I used to do this stuff all the time when I was traveling on Eastern’s Unlimited Mileage fares back in the late Seventies.

First up this morning will be the short flight down to Memphis aboard DC-9-31 N89S, an ex-Southern Airways machine that Northwest acquired in its merger with Republic Airlines. Northwest must have recently repainted this plane for it looked as if it had rolled off the assembly line yesterday, it was that clean and shiny. In any event, 40 minutes later I was in Memphis enjoying coffee and a bagel at the WorldClub.

Yesterday, I spent the entire day back in Economy Class and lived to write about it! Truth be known, I was the beneficiary of some great seat assignments so I’ve no complaints. I’m not overly wide or tall so sitting in Coach is not a problem. To the contrary, aside from the legroom, I find Coach seating perfectly comfortable. Regardless, First Class is even more comfortable so I was more than happy to return to the front cabin for my two hour breakfast flight down to Fort Lauderdale. The aircraft for this flight was an ex-Hughes Air West DC-9-31. I think the DC-9s look great in Northwest’s red and gray livery. Hard to believe this one used to wear yellow and purple!

Once we were airborne, our FA described the meal service as a “Breakfast Snack”, so I was expecting something along the lines of a Danish and some coffee. Well, the “snack” turned out to be a full breakfast, just the cold version. Today, that translated into a large bowl of Wheaties and Raisins, a cup of lowfat strawberry yogurt, a banana and a bagel. It was exactly what I was looking forward to prior to the flight. The only thing missing was the fruit plate.

A three hour layover awaited me in Fort Lauderdale and, after rechecking my pack through to San Francisco, I was more than content to while away the afternoon reading, writing and swilling complimentary Heinekens in the comfort of the FLL President’s Club. I was having a fine old time of it, too, until an announcement came over the clubroom PA that flight 149 to Houston was delayed and would all passengers with connecting flights out of Houston please come up to the reception desk. Uh oh…

Due to some kind of a mechanical problem in Houston, there was an aircraft switch and our new departure time would be about 5:00pm. Had everything gone according to my original schedule, I would have had about three hours in San Francisco before my departure at 1025pm to Detroit. Were I to depart at 5:00pm with the new connection through Houston, I wouldn’t arrive in SFO until after 11:00pm.

To make a long story short, or at least shorter, I was rebooked on a pair of Delta flights through Atlanta, arriving SFO at 9:25pm. So much for dinner with friends at SFO but at least I’d make my Detroit flight for which I’d already secured an upgrade. Check in at Delta was exceedingly slow as they appeared to be a bit understaffed. Only two agents were working the paper ticket Economy check-in line which was substantially longer than the E-Ticket kiosk line where three agents awaited passengers. Upon check-in, it was explained that since my trip had started on Continental and I’d been switched over to Delta, I would now have to undergo extra baggage inspection as well as extra security screening at the gate both here in Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta. Apparently, switching airlines, even involuntarily so, creates a possible security risk. Sheer idiocy. Still, we must keep up appearances lest we spook the cattle. Well, no sooner had I finally been released to roam the gate area free and unencumbered than I found out that my 3:55pm flight to Atlanta was now scheduled for a 5:30pm departure. Jeez, what next…?! Apparently, the delay was due to thunderstorms in and around Atlanta. Meanwhile, I could see the aircraft for my original Continental flight was at the gate, ready to leave at 5:00pm.

Ah well, roll with the punches. I grabbed a bite to eat, then called Continental and explained the situation. They were very understanding and rebooked me on the Northwest codeshare into Nashville via MSP departing at 12:20p tomorrow. This was great! Even though I’d miss out on my first day in Nashville, I’d at least manage to get some sleep tonight. Now if I can just upgrade on that SFO-MSP leg, you’ll all get to read about NW’s First Class luncheon service! What a bonus!!

Our 767-300 finally got airborne at about 6:00pm. I can’t say for sure because I was asleep when we finally did take off. Upon arrival in Atlanta, it was a short one mile stroll from B1 to A30. My San Francisco flight, originally scheduled for a 7:15pm departure, didn’t get airborne until 9:15pm. As soon as the wheels left the runway, I heard a smattering of light applause. Apparently an earlier departure to SFO had been cancelled so some folks had been hanging around the airport for over five hours, many of them without benefit of a Crown Room membership. In an attempt to mollify any frustrated passengers, Delta offered FREE HEADPHONES!!

Dinner was a choice between hot Penne Pasta with a cheesy tomato sauce or a cold turkey sandwich. Prior to boarding, I lucked out and managed to get my seat changed from 38C to exit row seat 16D, the first row of Coach. Besides the extra legroom I also got to eat first. I and everyone within earshot ordered the pasta. It was actually quite good and came with a small salad, a roll and a 2” square piece of cake with orange frosting that tasted more like watermelon than orange. I pretty sure most everyone behind row 30 or so got a sandwich for dinner.

We arrived in San Francisco at 10:50pm. I collected my pack and set up camp (minus the campfire) in a nice dark corner off the Air Canada baggage carousel. The first AC flight wasn’t scheduled to arrive until 9:35am so I slept undisturbed until about 7:00am.

26 September
SFO-MSP 1230p-556p NORTHWEST 757-251 N528US Coach Class Seat 16D 1590
MSP-BNA 711p-918p NORTHWEST DC-9-31 N8920E First Class Seat 1D 700
TOTAL MILES FLOWN: 2290 TOTAL MILES EARNED: 7930


After checking in my pack, I popped into the President’s Club for coffee and a Danish, then took the free Caltrain shuttle into Millbrae for breakfast. Sunshine and 60 degrees. My kind of morning!

I’d been informed upon check-in that the odds weren’t good towards getting upgraded into Minneapolis today. The flights were packed all day. The Norwegian Dry Cleaners Association were having their convention, don’t cha know? Ya, sure. Well, I didn’t get that upgrade so here I sit typing away from exit row seat 16D, the same seat I had last night on Delta, also aboard a 757-200. The similarities end there, however. Where Delta had a galley, Northwest has a latrine. Where Delta offered a bulkhead seven feet in front of my seat with a little 9” TV screen to watch the movie upon, Northwest has two rows of seats, the last of which is partially blocking the 2R door. There’s a bulkhead two rows up and, like Delta, it has a TV screen mounted on it. Unlike Delta, there’s no movie. Nor any kind of audio or visual entertainment for that matter short of whatever the view out your window may offer.

Culinary entertainment in Coach today was a choice between a ham or turkey sandwich. Each came with a bag of Ruffles potato chips and an apple. My turkey sandwich was… edible, if somewhat uninspired in construction and presentation. I removed the limp American “cheese” and replaced it with some Brie I’d snagged from the lounge. Now, if only I’d thought to bring along some lettuce, onions and tomatoes.

I did manage an upgrade from Minneapolis down to Nashville and as I settled into seat 3D I happily accepted a preflight libation – an ice cold can of James Page Iron Range Amber Lager. Ah… it’s good to be back up front.

Despite our 7:00pm departure and an almost two hour flight, there was no meal service in First Class so I stopped off at the California Kitchen and bought a really tasty mixed salad. Once we reached cruising altitude, I enjoyed it with a glass of the Rosemount’s red. As always, I got a few looks from my fellow passengers as they walked by. It’s amazing to me in these days of diminished inflight meal service that more people don’t bring their own food onboard. The FA’s could seem to care less so long as you don’t make a big scene or a mess.

28 September
BNA-DTW 140p-418p NORTHWEST DC-9-31 N756NC First Class Seat 2A 470
DTW-SFO 723p-932p NORTHWEST 757-251 N543US First Class Seat 2A 2080
TOTAL MILES FLOWN: 2550 TOTAL MILES EARNED: 10450


While in Nashville, I found time to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Ryman Auditorium Museum. I would have liked to have visited the Grand Ole Opry but getting back to my hotel after the show would have been a major hassle. In any event, the Ryman used to be the home of the Opry. It’s a National Historic Landmark and has hosted some top notch musicians over the years. Nashville’s definitely worth a return visit.

Hurricane Isadore dropped 16” of rain upon the Big Easy and up in Nashville we picked up at least 4”, much of it during my time here. So, you can imagine my surprise and delight to awaken this morning to a beautiful autumn day. Sunshine and 80 degrees. I took a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, then headed out to the airport for my 1:40pm departure to Detroit. Thankfully, I was able to upgrade into First Class on both of my flights today.

It was a quick one hour ten minute flight up to Detroit. It looked to me like we just followed I-75 on into the Motor City. While taxiing in, I saw one of Spirit Air’s DC-9-80s in the new color scheme. It’s a big improvement over the old livery.

I divided my layover in Northwest’s WorldClub between watching some of the Ryder Cup golf tournament and working on this here report. Sorry about the vernacular – I’ve just come from Nashville. At 7:00pm I headed downstairs to the gate and boarded my waiting 757. Preflight drinks were all the rage as the Flight Attendant walked down the aisle delivering a full tray of various adult beverages. I had my usual James Page Lager and marveled at my good fortune in getting row one to myself!

Unfortunately, the sun had just set by the time we finally took off to the east. Our flight time was projected at four hours, fifty-two minutes – a bit longer than usual due to ninety-five knot headwinds. Cruising altitude was set at 39000 feet.

Service began soon after takeoff with really hot Oshibori towels followed by drinks and the snack basket featuring Fisher’s brand almonds. Here is the dinner menu:

Detroit to San Francisco

DINNER

To Begin

Strips of beef tenderloin accompanied by a flavorful Teriyaki sauce

Salad
Endive lettuce accompanied by sliced orange, strawberry and walnuts
Offered with Fat Free Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing

Dinner Roll


** ** **

Main Courses

Moroccan Chicken

Baked chicken breast accented by a flavorful lentil sauce and served with couscous and carrots

Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage
Ziti pasta and zesty Italian sausage are topped with a rich Alfredo sauce, then baked to perfection

** ** **

Dessert
Ice Cream Sundae Cart
Your choice of strawberry or chocolate topping with chopped walnuts



As usual, the meal was served all at once on a single tray. Course by course is just not Northwest’s style. I ordered the Moroccan Chicken and found it pretty good. The lentil sauce had some kind of fruit in it and tasted a bit like mild chutney but overall it made a nice accompaniment to the chicken. The couscous was surprisingly light and fluffy and of course, you can hardly go wrong with an ice cream sundae. Not bad, not bad…

Speaking of ice cream sundaes, I remember one I had while flying from Honolulu to Anchorage aboard a Western Airlines DC-10 back in 1983. What made it stand out was the flight attendant’s suggestion that I try it with Amaretto instead of my usual hot fudge. Western featured Haagen Daz ice cream back then and the addition of Amaretto, whipped cream and those little rolled up cookies made that dessert really something special.

Unfortunately, Northwest only offers Amaretto aboard their international flights but if any of you out there should be flying a carrier that does offer Amaretto, I highly recommend it on your next sundae.

It was a beautiful evening in San Francisco – clear and 67 degrees upon our arrival. Tomorrow is a no-fly day and I’m looking forward to driving down to Los Angeles for the final six flights of this mileage marathon.

30 September
LAX-DTW 820a-358p NORTHWEST 757-251 N541US Coach Class Seat 18C 1980
DTW-BDL 519p-704p NORTHWEST DC-9-51 N756NC First Class Seat 2A 540
TOTAL MILES FLOWN: 2520 TOTAL MILES EARNED: 8310


Jeez, after the trip down from Alaska, driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles is a cake walk! It’s only about 340 miles but I took a round about routing in order to see some country I’d not yet driven through and ended up making a 490 mile day of it. After descending through the burnt remains of Los Padres National Forest and Matilija Canyon on CA 33, I had a great dinner in Ojai before heading on down to Los Angeles.

I didn’t see any good deals on Park and Fly hotels, though I did find a good number of reasonably priced economy parking lots around the airport. Non-economy parking at LAX is outrageous – about $30.00/day! Several independent operators offer economy parking at rates ranging from $7.00-13.00 per day. I drove around and checked a couple of them out and ultimately elected to go with the LAX Economy B Lot. This lot is operated by the airport, costs only $8.00/day, and perhaps most importantly, offered stouter fencing and brighter lighting than any of the other lots. Needless to say, the neighborhood side streets off of Century Blvd. didn’t look overly savory.

First Class was sold out into Minneapolis today, though I did manage an upgrade beyond to Detroit and on to Hartford. The departure out of LAX was delayed by half an hour so I had time to pay a visit to Northwest’s LAX WorldClub. Located upstairs above the gate area, it commanded an excellent view of the Terminal 2 ramp through its many picture windows. I grabbed a coffee and a bagel and watched with interest as an ancient Hawaiian Air DC-10-10 was towed into the gate. Aside from Fed Ex and maybe an overseas charter carrier or two, I believe Hawaiian Air is the last scheduled service airline in the world operating the old “Dash 10” version of the DC-10. The DC-10–10 was the domestic version of the Ten and was the type that launched the aircraft into service in August of 1971. The longer range DC-10-30, a few of which are still in passenger service, didn’t enter service until a couple of years later. I remember my first flight on a DC-10… It was aboard N1802U, a United aircraft operating between LaGuardia and O’Hare in June of 1972. It was painted in United’s patriotic four star “DC-10 Friendship” livery and offered 8-across seating and lounges in both First Class and Coach. I intentionally missed a flight on an old 727-100 in order to get that flight. I also remember my Dad being none too happy about the delay. I think I got an alarm clock for my next birthday present. Years later, the truth came out.

Since that summer day in 1972, I’ve logged another 208 flights totaling 296,180 miles aboard DC-10s. It was and still is one of my favorite airplanes.

Unfortunately, a mechanical problem ended up delaying the MSP flight to the point where I’d have to reroute via the DTW nonstop if I didn’t want to spend most of the day hanging out in airports. Of course, in doing so, I’d lose out on one segment in AS/NW’s 1000 mile bonus promotion along with my excellent seat. Not much of a dilemma there. Thankfully, I managed to get an aisle seat on the 757 into Detroit. Although I’ve always preferred windows, I’m finding that on longer flights in Coach class, I prefer an aisle seat. Unless of course I can snag a more spacious bulkhead or exit row, in which case I’ll take that window seat, thank you.

Flight time was promised to be three hours and thirty six minutes, at an altitude of 37000 feet. There was no wait for take off and we were airborne scant minutes from pushing back from the gate – quite a feat at LAX, me thinks.

Economy breakfast this morning consisted of the following:

Banana
Total Cereal with 4oz of 2% milk
Bagel and cream cheese

Not much of note to report otherwise about this flight. In my row, the somewhat frumpy looking middle aged lady in the window seat clutched her purse tightly for almost the entire flight while the girl next to me slept through all but the last 15 minutes of the trip. Two or three rows back, a man coughed incessantly. The FA’s worked throughout the flight. When they weren’t passing through the aisles with the beverage cart, they were refilling water glasses. They really did a great job!

Detroit was hazy and 82 degrees upon our arrival. During my layover I bought an excellent roast beef sandwich at the “Temporary Service” kiosk over by gate A46. Not only was it reasonably priced, but it was made on the spot to my specifications. A bag of baked potato chips was only 60 cents more. Even Subway charges more than that. They should make this place permanent! I’ll be back tomorrow.

The aircraft for today’s flight into Hartford was DC-9-51 N775NC, an ex-North Central machine that I last flew back in August of 1976 on a Minneapolis to Chicago milk run via EAU, CWA and GRB. Truth be known, I’ve flown a lot of Northwest’s older DC-9s – just not on Northwest.

After a lengthy wait in line for takeoff, we climbed out over the southern shores of Lake Huron before heading due east out over the middle of Lake Erie and on across southern New York to Hartford. Our captain informed us that Northwest would have little trouble in providing us with “yet another on time arrival” into Hartford this evening and so it was that I claimed my pack and arrived at my cheap hotel in plenty of time to watch the Ravens make the Broncos look like pretenders rather than contenders for the AFC West crown.

01 October
BDL-DTW 920a-1119a NORTHWEST DC-9-51 N775NC Coach Class Seat 5F 540
DTW-MSP 1221p-120p NORTHWEST DC-9-41 N753NW First Class Seat 3A 530
MSP-LAX 239p-427p NORTHWEST 757-251 N545US First Class Seat 2A 1530
TOTAL MILES FLOWN: 2600 TOTAL MILES EARNED: 5200


Although I wasn’t scheduled to depart until 12:00n, I could think of no good reason to hang out in Hartford when I could be on my way westward by 9:20am. So it was that I was winging it back to Detroit on a fine sunny morning, enjoying coffee and a Quaker granola bar while one row ahead of me in First Class folks were offered only the snack basket (peanuts, pretzels or shortbread) along with their coffees.

Once again I visited the Temporary Service kiosk before boarding an ex-SAS DC-9-41 into Minneapolis. Thankfully, I’d managed an upgrade into MSP and beyond to LAX, so the next hour and twenty six minutes were spent reclined in seat 3A whilst dining upon a fine roast beef sandwich washed down with a couple of beers. Along the way, our First Officer gave us a running commentary on the sights 35000 feet below. These included Interstate 94, Lake Michigan and Milwaukee, our FO’s home town. Service in the forward cabin was provided by one of the prettiest women I’ve ever seen. She had this almost street urchin hairstyle surrounding a beautiful face and warm, kind eyes. Her looks were certainly not the type to grace say, Vogue magazine, but she was a memorable beauty in my book.

I spent most of my time in Minneapolis on the phone to Alaska where it’s been unseasonably warm of late – temperatures in the 50s and even low 60s around Fairbanks. We’ll see how things are when I get back up there in three weeks. The scene at the gate was very relaxed and boarding was accomplished quickly. By the time the doors were shut, First Class was full and maybe half the seats were taken in Coach.

Meal service for this flight was listed as a snack in Northwest’s schedule, though the Flight Attendants called it lunch. I’d call it a big snack. Here were the choices:

Minneapolis to Los Angeles

SNACK

Salad

Endive lettuce accompanied by sliced orange, strawberry and walnuts
Offered with Fat Free Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing

Dinner Roll


** ** **

Chicken Pasta
Pasta spirals blended with shredded chicken breast, chopped green onions, raw green beans and mandarin orange pieces

Ham and Swiss Cheese Sandwich
A large Hoagie roll filled with ham, Swiss Cheese and the traditional garnishments

** ** **

Dessert
Key Lime Cheesecake


I ordered the pasta and found it most delicious. My seatmate, who’d flown in from Germany via Amsterdam, awoke briefly to order the sandwich, ate about half of it, then promptly fell back to sleep for the remainder of the flight.

After lunch, I got to work finishing off this report. I opened the window briefly now and then to check out the view and about two hours into the flight was treated to a beautiful view of the Colorado Rockies. The peaks were dusted with a mantle of fresh Autumn snow and the aspen trees glowed yellow, gold and orange on the hillsides. While I was taking this all in, I noticed a clearly visible United A320 flying about 2000 feet below us. It was pretty neat to see from above like that, against the backdrop of the mountains below. Judging by its direction, I would guess it was headed to Seattle or Portland.

As we continued southwest over Utah and Nevada, we were treated to some awesome views of the San Juan River emptying loads of silt into the eastern end of Lake Powell, Cataract Canyon on the Colorado River and some pretty neat looking thunderheads over Nevada.

We arrived in Los Angeles right on time and believe me when I tell you that despite my love of flight, no one could have been happier to not have any upcoming flights for the next couple of weeks! After thirty eight flights, 34,670 miles and 78 hours, 40 minutes inflight ~ I’m looking forward to enjoying life on terra firma for awhile. I’m also looking forward to enjoying about 135,000 more miles in my Alaska Airlines account.

In closing, I’d like to offer a few observations on my experiences aboard Northwest. After 34 flights with them all over the country, I’ve gotten a pretty good feel for their operation. In general, I found their employees unfailingly friendly and competent. The flight attendants were friendly and attentive at all times. Nobody amongst American carriers works any harder. Although the odds suggest there might be one or two “prison matrons” out there, I certainly didn’t encounter any. Northwest’s meal service, while not stylish or extravagant in any way, was generally good, if not occasionally basic. The First Class cabins, while not as plush in appearance or comfort as those on AA, CO or DL, are still quite acceptable.

Aside from yesterday’s LAX-MSP mechanical problems, all of my flights operated on time or within 15 minutes of departure time. Despite multiple connections, my baggage never was lost or delayed. That might be the most amazing statistic!

In short, Northwest offers good, reliable air transportation at a reasonable price. And, as an added bonus, their newly designed WorldClubs are, I think, the best in the business.

I would not hesitate to fly or recommend Northwest to anyone for domestic air travel.

Finally, to all of you who’ve actually managed to read this far without nodding off, you’re real troopers! It’s not easy reading about so many domestic flights so thanks for your attention throughout. I promise not to write about any more Northwest flights for a good long while. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to Twenty Nine Palms for the evening. Tomorrow – Joshua Tree National Park. The next day – Organ Pipe National Monument. Next week – Colorado. Hiyo, Blue Mazda, A w a y!!

The travels continue 12 days later at:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/003203.html


[This message has been edited by Seat 2A (edited 02-20-2003).]
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Old Oct 2, 2002, 12:39 am
  #2  
 
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As usual, . Since most of my flying is domestic (sometimes in F) I enjoy your detailed reports, comparing the service with that on my usual carrier. Looking forward to the next one.
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Old Oct 2, 2002, 2:56 am
  #3  
kpc
 
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Incredible tale of adventure and travel...

------------------
kpc
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Old Oct 2, 2002, 5:05 am
  #4  
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Loved the report!!! Thanks for taking the time to (fly and) write it!
Best wishes.
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Old Oct 2, 2002, 5:41 am
  #5  
 
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Wow! excellent report, thanks for taking the time to write it. It looks like you write it while you are travelling, do you take a laptop on all those flights? (I am making do with my Pocket PC, WiFi card and a foldable keyboard for my 11 flights in the next 3 weeks.)

Mark.
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Old Oct 2, 2002, 11:55 am
  #6  
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Thanks for the great report. No doubt you are already planning your next trip in BA First with all of those AS miles!!
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Old Oct 2, 2002, 12:46 pm
  #7  
 
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Thank you for avery informative and entertaining trip report.

On my first ever mileage run, I somehow ended up in Memphis. I visited the Corkys and enjoyed the BBQ very much. I still have (the tattered remains of) the souvenir t-shirt I bought at Corkys.
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Old Oct 2, 2002, 1:03 pm
  #8  
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by onedog:
Thank you for avery informative and entertaining trip report. &lt;IMG SRC="http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif"&gt;
</font>

agreed.
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Old Oct 2, 2002, 2:18 pm
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Seat 2A:

Another one for the ages - excellent again! If you ever decide on a second (or third, forth or fifth) career, you could be the dude who writes the menus. You've got it down.
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Old Oct 2, 2002, 10:56 pm
  #10  
 
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Your report should be used as an example of a romance with flying and/or promoting airplane travel! It was very well written and a surprise to see in this day and age.

You must/should have received an A+++ in English Grammer and Composition, where ever you studied. Not an easy accomplishment.

The report flowed like 'butta'! :}

Thanks so much for the wonderful reading!

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Old Oct 2, 2002, 11:31 pm
  #11  
 
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I would like to add, that your Report shows us, that we should be GRATEFUL for any First Class upgrades, rather then resentful for having to sit in Coach.


Thanks for the nice example!


:{
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Old Oct 2, 2002, 11:58 pm
  #12  
 
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I enjoyed another train ride where I could read your report. I always like your detailed, well chosen descriptions (particularly the check-in with the same agent for MSY-DTW on 19 September).


Enjoy your upcoming National Park visits in your blue Mazda.
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Old Oct 3, 2002, 10:44 am
  #13  
 
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Thanks for the wonderful report, I always enjoy reading them.
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Old Oct 3, 2002, 6:25 pm
  #14  
 
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Another enjoyable report!! It's a shame for us that you don't have any upcoming flights...

{edited to correct failed attempt to use thumbsup!)



[This message has been edited by Buster (edited 10-03-2002).]
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Old Oct 6, 2002, 7:32 pm
  #15  
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Man, it sure is nice to be earthbound again! I was camped out this morning near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The elevation there was about 8800 feet and it was pretty cold last night. Lots of frost this morning.

The North Rim is the quiet side of the Grand Canyon. Most of the tourists and concessions are on the South Rim. The view from the North is no less spectacular, however. I hiked out to the Angel's Window and Point Royal. Awesome! I felt like I'd discovered the canyon on my own. Early in the morning, it was just me, the canyon and a crisp clear sunny morning. 2000 feet below me a hawk circled and screamed. Magic.

I drove on past the Vermilion Cliffs, then up through Monument Valley and the Valley of the Gods (US 163 and Utah Highway 261), amazing country if any of you should be so inclined to road trip. I pulled into Durango about an hour ago.

So, thanks for all the kudos, everyone. Glad you enjoyed the report! A couple of questions and comments came up that I'll address...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">It looks like you write it while you are travelling, do you take a laptop on all those flights?</font>
I do take my ancient Toshiba along. I get alot of writing done while inflight (on longer flights, at least) or in between flights in the airline lounges.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">No doubt you are already planning your next trip in BA First with all of those AS miles!!</font>
You better believe it! I've already booked my seats for April.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">If you ever decide on a second (or third, forth or fifth) career, you could be the dude who writes the menus. You've got it down.</font>
Besides collecting airline menus since the Seventies, I also used to write (as in calligraphy) menus for restaurants. I reckon I've got a feel for the lingo now...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">You must/should have received an A+++ in English Grammer and Composition</font>
English never was my favorite or best subject though I did manage a B average in it. Until these Trip Reports, all I ever wrote were a few reports, letters and postcards. I read alot of trashy NYPD novels, WP Kinsella, Ed Abbey and all those military techno thrillers though. Maybe I picked up something. Thanks for the compliments!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Another enjoyable report!! It's a shame for us that you don't have any upcoming flights...</font>
I do have more upcoming flights. In about a week, I'll fly American down to Orlando and get my first flight on an AA 777. Then, after the Magnoliafest, I'll fly Northwest out to San Jose, CA and back to Orlando, then back to Denver on AA. Next day, it's on to Alaska in First Class via Alaska Airlines. What - you want a n o t h e r report?!!


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