Chasing the Combi: GEG-SEA-JNU-ANC-SEA-GEG on AS
Sep 23, 2015, 11:49 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: JNU/SEA
Posts: 244
Chasing the Combi: GEG-SEA-JNU-ANC-SEA-GEG on AS
Chasing the Combi: GEG-SEA-JNU-ANC-SEA-GEG on AS
Introduction
The “combi”. Most aviation enthusiasts have heard about them, but few get the chance to fly on one today. I have one previous flight on an Alaska 737-400C, an adventure in itself that involved some impressive turbulence, a missed approach, and an overnight ferry ride. But that was many years ago, and knowing today that Alaska’s combi aircraft are not going to be around much longer, I made an effort to get on one. The schedules they fly are a little inconvenient for me, to say the least, but the thought of being able to fly on this unique aircraft for possibly the last time was too good to pass up. The story is short and mostly told through photos- so read on to share in one of the most unique flight experiences in the U.S. today – The Alaska Airlines 737 “combi”.
1:50am is NOT a pleasant time to wake up. As an architecture student, I’d usually look at my phone around this time and begin to think about heading home from the studio and getting some sleep. But this morning, my phone woke me with a reminder of the days events- and the thought of a flight home on the combi lured me out of bed. Not to mention the thought of Mom's blueberry pancakes waiting at home. That helped too.
My ride for the 90 minute drive up to Spokane this morning.
I didn’t need any reminder that it was 2:23 in the morning. Right on schedule though, ready to head north.
Thank goodness for good music and cold air. The thought of a deer, or worse, a moose, joining me on the roadway was great incentive to stay awake and alert. Still not an easy task at this hour.
Passing a wind farm on the way to Spokane. Always wanted to know what the field of lights would look like from the sky at night.
Pulling into the Spokane Airport (GEG).
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Spokane (GEG) to Seattle (SEA)
Alaska 695
Boeing 737-900
N305AS
Flight Time: 46 minutes
Only one flight from the Alaska gates at this hour. TSA finally arrived to open security as the line stretched the length of the check-in hall.
After a short wait, boarding was called.
This morning’s -900 was equipped with Alaska’s new Recaro slimline seats. After several flights with them, I’m found them to be comfortable. The access to power is great, but it’s very annoying that there’s nowhere to put a water bottle. It won’t fit in the new style of pouch.
Wet this morning in Spokane. Pulling onto the runway after a short taxi- no traffic at this time of the morning, we’re the first ones out.
“Positive rate, gear up"
Climbing through a thick cloud layer on the way out.
As the flight to Seattle is quite short, and the -900 is quite long, the beverage/snack service started as soon as possible.
After just a few minutes at cruise, we began our decent into Seattle, passing through the same thick and wet cloud layer that was on the East side of the state.
Over downtown. The Columbia Tower is in the center, ringed in purple lighting, with the ferris wheel just to the left of it’s top.
Touchdown? Yep. Back in rainy Seattle. Just a taste of home...
Quiet ramp even in Seattle at this hour. We’re one of the first arrivals on the Alaska side.
Having already been up for 4 hours, it’s probably time for a little something to eat. Options in the North Terminal are pretty much limited to Burger King, Starbucks, or the Great American Bagel Bakery.
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Seattle (SEA) to Juneau (JNU)
Alaska 61
Boeing 737-400C
N765AS
Flight Time: 125 minutes
And with that, it was time for today’s main event- the combi flight home! After having my boarding pass scanned, I was directed down a set of stairs to the ramp, and a covered walkway out to the plane.
The classic combi experience- walking under the wing on your way to the rear stair.
Interesting visitor to Seattle. It was still there (or back) when I came back through at the end of the week.
On board. The combi will keep the “old” seats (and no power) until it’s retirement. Legroom and seat comfort is still good.
The view forward, towards the bulkhead. Beyond sits the cargo area that makes the combi unique.
A quick check of the FAA weather camera overlooking the Juneau airport- all looks good this morning!
Ready to go on the runway. Can you tell it’s raining? Is it obvious that I’m too lazy to use an iPhone camera app that lets me use manual focus?
With speed, the rain starts to fly...
...as do we. Takeoff towards the south, but quickly banking and turning north to Alaska, home, and blueberry pancakes.
Looking East over Canada.
At some point we crossed into Alaska. Great view, huh? Looking down on Petersburg.
Looking toward Devil’s Thumb, located East of Wrangell, short after beginning our decent into Juneau.
After passing through a snowy cloud layer, the first glimpses of Juneau come in to view.
Touchdown!
We turn off the taxiway and directly into our gate- no jetway, of course.
A really unique view that one has to take a moment to enjoy.
Just as quickly as the passengers de-plane, so does the cargo. No covered walkway in Juneau, but it’s a short walk to the terminal.
Headed down the escalator towards baggage claim. Juneau’s airport was remodeled several years ago and it’s quite nice. During busier times local musicians play in this area.
Home! And yes, the blueberry pancakes were oh, so good.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Juneau (JNU) to Anchorage (ANC)
Alaska 73
Boeing 737-800
N579AS
Flight Time: 84 minutes
My family joins me for the next leg as we head up to Anchorage to look at schools for my younger brother. Another early start, but not nearly as bad as the Spokane departure.
We’re on a 737-800 this morning, and oddly boarding via airstars, a process usually reserved for the combi operation. No complaints from me though!
Onboard, and again with the new seats, though this time in an exit row! Legroom, of course, is great, though the right-hand armrest is a bit of a pain. It’s what you see in the picture, plus a small protrusion from the seat where your elbow would normally be.
Back-taxiing on the runway this morning as part of the taxiway is closed, presumably in preparation for the upcoming runway repave to take place early in the summer.
Rotate, and looking over at the terminal- our gate was on the far left. If there weren’t any clouds the view to the Mendenhall Glacier is amazing at this point.
See the blue just to the right of the wingtip? That’s the Mendenhall! I promise, the view really is better when it’s sunny...
Of course, it’s always sunny above the clouds. Beautiful view this morning as we pass through the final cloud layer shortly after sunrise.
The thin cloud layer allows for broken views of the mountains below- more (and better) pictures coming soon...
Approach in to Anchorage, looking over the downtown area. While I don’t find Anchorage as a town to be nearly as interesting as other Alaskan towns, the surrounding areas are stunning if you’re able to get out and about.
Past the city, banking over Fire Island in Cook Inlet to line up with the runway.
On the ground! Parked next to one of Alaska’s other combi’s- they don’t have very many, but nearly all of their routes pass through Anchorage.
Through the terminal headed to baggage claim. Our few days in Anchorage were occupied by the mundane (hello, admissions office) an the spectacular (driving to Whittier, Alaska).
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Anchorage (ANC) to Seattle (SEA)
Alaska 84
Boeing 737-400
N797AS
Flight Time: 184 minutes
Time to head back to school, and there’s no better place to spend a couple hours at Anchorage airport than in the Alaska Airlines boardroom. Anchorage is a major stop-over point for countless cargo airlines, and for a small-town boy like myself, seeing aircraft and airlines like the ones below- China Airlines, NCA, Korean Air, and Cargolux- is really cool. The newly-painted “Spirit of the Islands” is forgettable in comparison.
The board room is small, but fairly empty at this hour. Alaska’s boardrooms are fairly basic, and this morning’s food offerings are typical- bagels, toast, fruit, hard-boiled eggs, and the mythical pancake machine.
Love this view. It may be not all that special for those of you who frequent large airports, but I really enjoy it.
The boardroom is less than a minute away from my gate this morning, so I leave shortly after boarding beings, and after a short wait, am allowed to board. The seats on today’s 737-400 are the same as on the combi- notably, no power. A little unfortunate with this being such a long flight, with a layover and another powerless flight to come.
Rotating into the cold Anchorage morning skies.
Great shadow cast by our ride.
I told you the views in this area of Alaska were amazing! Beautiful day for flying.
Glaciers, and the edge of a cloud layer on the right.
Looking over Sitka, Alaska; located just Southwest of Juneau.
Klawock, Alaska. I flew in here on a Jetstream 31 when I was just a few years old.
Oddly enough, it was raining in Seattle… or maybe that’s not so surprising.
Over Boeing Field (BFI). Note the 737s in the bottom right.
Touchdown, speed brakes extended, reverse thrusters engaged.
Waiting in the terminal for the flight to Spokane- great spotting opportunities here too such as this Hainan Airlines 787-8.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Seattle (SEA) to Spokane (GEG)
Alaska 2506 (operated by Horizon Airlines)
Bombardier Q400
N439QX
Flight Time: 40 minutes
Boarding the Q400 for the short ride to Spokane is a bit of a process- boarding pass scanned at the gate, through a door, down a flight of stairs, a (covered) walk along the tarmac to your second gate- hopefully the right one. But for the enthusiast… never any complaints about being able to spend time on the tarmac!
Larger carry-on bags can be placed on these “Ala Carts” as you board. They’re returned to you in the same place after deplaning.
I’ve found the back of the Q400 to be the best place to sit- seats always available, right next to the boarding door (the front one is open, too), and most importantly- away from the noisy propellors.
Tight fit on the Q400s- legroom is ok, but the curvature of the fuselage is annoying and the seats seem quite narrow. It’s only a hour flight today, but these Q400s are used on flights over 2 hours.
Quick rotation with the winds.
Fairly smooth ride over, nothing more than the typical dancing around the Q400 always seems to do. However, it got quite bumpy as we came into GEG, executing a long, steep turn to line up with the runway.
Almost down. Another gloomy day in Eastern Washington.
And with that, I was headed back to Pullman. It was certainly a whirlwind trip, but many great experiences!
I hope you all enjoyed the adventure! If you have any questions or comments please share and I’ll do my best to respond.
Happy flying!
Matthew
Introduction
The “combi”. Most aviation enthusiasts have heard about them, but few get the chance to fly on one today. I have one previous flight on an Alaska 737-400C, an adventure in itself that involved some impressive turbulence, a missed approach, and an overnight ferry ride. But that was many years ago, and knowing today that Alaska’s combi aircraft are not going to be around much longer, I made an effort to get on one. The schedules they fly are a little inconvenient for me, to say the least, but the thought of being able to fly on this unique aircraft for possibly the last time was too good to pass up. The story is short and mostly told through photos- so read on to share in one of the most unique flight experiences in the U.S. today – The Alaska Airlines 737 “combi”.
1:50am is NOT a pleasant time to wake up. As an architecture student, I’d usually look at my phone around this time and begin to think about heading home from the studio and getting some sleep. But this morning, my phone woke me with a reminder of the days events- and the thought of a flight home on the combi lured me out of bed. Not to mention the thought of Mom's blueberry pancakes waiting at home. That helped too.
My ride for the 90 minute drive up to Spokane this morning.
I didn’t need any reminder that it was 2:23 in the morning. Right on schedule though, ready to head north.
Thank goodness for good music and cold air. The thought of a deer, or worse, a moose, joining me on the roadway was great incentive to stay awake and alert. Still not an easy task at this hour.
Passing a wind farm on the way to Spokane. Always wanted to know what the field of lights would look like from the sky at night.
Pulling into the Spokane Airport (GEG).
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Spokane (GEG) to Seattle (SEA)
Alaska 695
Boeing 737-900
N305AS
Flight Time: 46 minutes
Only one flight from the Alaska gates at this hour. TSA finally arrived to open security as the line stretched the length of the check-in hall.
After a short wait, boarding was called.
This morning’s -900 was equipped with Alaska’s new Recaro slimline seats. After several flights with them, I’m found them to be comfortable. The access to power is great, but it’s very annoying that there’s nowhere to put a water bottle. It won’t fit in the new style of pouch.
Wet this morning in Spokane. Pulling onto the runway after a short taxi- no traffic at this time of the morning, we’re the first ones out.
“Positive rate, gear up"
Climbing through a thick cloud layer on the way out.
As the flight to Seattle is quite short, and the -900 is quite long, the beverage/snack service started as soon as possible.
After just a few minutes at cruise, we began our decent into Seattle, passing through the same thick and wet cloud layer that was on the East side of the state.
Over downtown. The Columbia Tower is in the center, ringed in purple lighting, with the ferris wheel just to the left of it’s top.
Touchdown? Yep. Back in rainy Seattle. Just a taste of home...
Quiet ramp even in Seattle at this hour. We’re one of the first arrivals on the Alaska side.
Having already been up for 4 hours, it’s probably time for a little something to eat. Options in the North Terminal are pretty much limited to Burger King, Starbucks, or the Great American Bagel Bakery.
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Seattle (SEA) to Juneau (JNU)
Alaska 61
Boeing 737-400C
N765AS
Flight Time: 125 minutes
And with that, it was time for today’s main event- the combi flight home! After having my boarding pass scanned, I was directed down a set of stairs to the ramp, and a covered walkway out to the plane.
The classic combi experience- walking under the wing on your way to the rear stair.
Interesting visitor to Seattle. It was still there (or back) when I came back through at the end of the week.
On board. The combi will keep the “old” seats (and no power) until it’s retirement. Legroom and seat comfort is still good.
The view forward, towards the bulkhead. Beyond sits the cargo area that makes the combi unique.
A quick check of the FAA weather camera overlooking the Juneau airport- all looks good this morning!
Ready to go on the runway. Can you tell it’s raining? Is it obvious that I’m too lazy to use an iPhone camera app that lets me use manual focus?
With speed, the rain starts to fly...
...as do we. Takeoff towards the south, but quickly banking and turning north to Alaska, home, and blueberry pancakes.
Looking East over Canada.
At some point we crossed into Alaska. Great view, huh? Looking down on Petersburg.
Looking toward Devil’s Thumb, located East of Wrangell, short after beginning our decent into Juneau.
After passing through a snowy cloud layer, the first glimpses of Juneau come in to view.
Touchdown!
We turn off the taxiway and directly into our gate- no jetway, of course.
A really unique view that one has to take a moment to enjoy.
Just as quickly as the passengers de-plane, so does the cargo. No covered walkway in Juneau, but it’s a short walk to the terminal.
Headed down the escalator towards baggage claim. Juneau’s airport was remodeled several years ago and it’s quite nice. During busier times local musicians play in this area.
Home! And yes, the blueberry pancakes were oh, so good.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Juneau (JNU) to Anchorage (ANC)
Alaska 73
Boeing 737-800
N579AS
Flight Time: 84 minutes
My family joins me for the next leg as we head up to Anchorage to look at schools for my younger brother. Another early start, but not nearly as bad as the Spokane departure.
We’re on a 737-800 this morning, and oddly boarding via airstars, a process usually reserved for the combi operation. No complaints from me though!
Onboard, and again with the new seats, though this time in an exit row! Legroom, of course, is great, though the right-hand armrest is a bit of a pain. It’s what you see in the picture, plus a small protrusion from the seat where your elbow would normally be.
Back-taxiing on the runway this morning as part of the taxiway is closed, presumably in preparation for the upcoming runway repave to take place early in the summer.
Rotate, and looking over at the terminal- our gate was on the far left. If there weren’t any clouds the view to the Mendenhall Glacier is amazing at this point.
See the blue just to the right of the wingtip? That’s the Mendenhall! I promise, the view really is better when it’s sunny...
Of course, it’s always sunny above the clouds. Beautiful view this morning as we pass through the final cloud layer shortly after sunrise.
The thin cloud layer allows for broken views of the mountains below- more (and better) pictures coming soon...
Approach in to Anchorage, looking over the downtown area. While I don’t find Anchorage as a town to be nearly as interesting as other Alaskan towns, the surrounding areas are stunning if you’re able to get out and about.
Past the city, banking over Fire Island in Cook Inlet to line up with the runway.
On the ground! Parked next to one of Alaska’s other combi’s- they don’t have very many, but nearly all of their routes pass through Anchorage.
Through the terminal headed to baggage claim. Our few days in Anchorage were occupied by the mundane (hello, admissions office) an the spectacular (driving to Whittier, Alaska).
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Anchorage (ANC) to Seattle (SEA)
Alaska 84
Boeing 737-400
N797AS
Flight Time: 184 minutes
Time to head back to school, and there’s no better place to spend a couple hours at Anchorage airport than in the Alaska Airlines boardroom. Anchorage is a major stop-over point for countless cargo airlines, and for a small-town boy like myself, seeing aircraft and airlines like the ones below- China Airlines, NCA, Korean Air, and Cargolux- is really cool. The newly-painted “Spirit of the Islands” is forgettable in comparison.
The board room is small, but fairly empty at this hour. Alaska’s boardrooms are fairly basic, and this morning’s food offerings are typical- bagels, toast, fruit, hard-boiled eggs, and the mythical pancake machine.
Love this view. It may be not all that special for those of you who frequent large airports, but I really enjoy it.
The boardroom is less than a minute away from my gate this morning, so I leave shortly after boarding beings, and after a short wait, am allowed to board. The seats on today’s 737-400 are the same as on the combi- notably, no power. A little unfortunate with this being such a long flight, with a layover and another powerless flight to come.
Rotating into the cold Anchorage morning skies.
Great shadow cast by our ride.
I told you the views in this area of Alaska were amazing! Beautiful day for flying.
Glaciers, and the edge of a cloud layer on the right.
Looking over Sitka, Alaska; located just Southwest of Juneau.
Klawock, Alaska. I flew in here on a Jetstream 31 when I was just a few years old.
Oddly enough, it was raining in Seattle… or maybe that’s not so surprising.
Over Boeing Field (BFI). Note the 737s in the bottom right.
Touchdown, speed brakes extended, reverse thrusters engaged.
Waiting in the terminal for the flight to Spokane- great spotting opportunities here too such as this Hainan Airlines 787-8.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Seattle (SEA) to Spokane (GEG)
Alaska 2506 (operated by Horizon Airlines)
Bombardier Q400
N439QX
Flight Time: 40 minutes
Boarding the Q400 for the short ride to Spokane is a bit of a process- boarding pass scanned at the gate, through a door, down a flight of stairs, a (covered) walk along the tarmac to your second gate- hopefully the right one. But for the enthusiast… never any complaints about being able to spend time on the tarmac!
Larger carry-on bags can be placed on these “Ala Carts” as you board. They’re returned to you in the same place after deplaning.
I’ve found the back of the Q400 to be the best place to sit- seats always available, right next to the boarding door (the front one is open, too), and most importantly- away from the noisy propellors.
Tight fit on the Q400s- legroom is ok, but the curvature of the fuselage is annoying and the seats seem quite narrow. It’s only a hour flight today, but these Q400s are used on flights over 2 hours.
Quick rotation with the winds.
Fairly smooth ride over, nothing more than the typical dancing around the Q400 always seems to do. However, it got quite bumpy as we came into GEG, executing a long, steep turn to line up with the runway.
Almost down. Another gloomy day in Eastern Washington.
And with that, I was headed back to Pullman. It was certainly a whirlwind trip, but many great experiences!
I hope you all enjoyed the adventure! If you have any questions or comments please share and I’ll do my best to respond.
Happy flying!
Matthew
Sep 24, 2015, 2:38 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Stockholm
Programs: Various
Posts: 3,369
Nice read. I like reading reports off the beaten path and Spokane and Juneau are places I'm unlikely to find myself in any time soon.
Alaska the airline seems like a decent enough alternative(and I really understand why you want to be on unusual aircraft types) and Alaska itself is something I'd like to visit.
Alaska the airline seems like a decent enough alternative(and I really understand why you want to be on unusual aircraft types) and Alaska itself is something I'd like to visit.
Sep 24, 2015, 10:38 am
#3
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: ANC
Programs: AS; Hyatt; Bonvoy
Posts: 1,718
Ah, the memories.
I put many miles in on the combis when I lived in Juneau in the early 90s, traveling frequently throughout Southeast for work. And I also spent many hours stuck in SE AK airports due to below-minimum ceilings before the fog-busting radar was available ...
A quick question for you, Kaphias: I can't place the view of the channel that you posted from your blueberry pancake home - it looks a bit like the view from Vanderbilt Hill, but I'm not sure. Can you help me out?
I put many miles in on the combis when I lived in Juneau in the early 90s, traveling frequently throughout Southeast for work. And I also spent many hours stuck in SE AK airports due to below-minimum ceilings before the fog-busting radar was available ...
A quick question for you, Kaphias: I can't place the view of the channel that you posted from your blueberry pancake home - it looks a bit like the view from Vanderbilt Hill, but I'm not sure. Can you help me out?
Sep 24, 2015, 11:26 am
#4
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LON
Programs: AS MVPG, Marriott Titanium, UA Silver
Posts: 1,350
Nice report - I still haven't flown the combi, but would love too in the near future.
The AN-124 was a regular in SEA, BFI, & PAE during the port strike. Pretty sure it was ferrying spare parts around the world. It's also one of the few planes that can carry a GE-90
The AN-124 was a regular in SEA, BFI, & PAE during the port strike. Pretty sure it was ferrying spare parts around the world. It's also one of the few planes that can carry a GE-90
Sep 24, 2015, 10:09 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: JNU/SEA
Posts: 244
Ah, the memories.
I put many miles in on the combis when I lived in Juneau in the early 90s, traveling frequently throughout Southeast for work. And I also spent many hours stuck in SE AK airports due to below-minimum ceilings before the fog-busting radar was available ...
A quick question for you, Kaphias: I can't place the view of the channel that you posted from your blueberry pancake home - it looks a bit like the view from Vanderbilt Hill, but I'm not sure. Can you help me out?
I put many miles in on the combis when I lived in Juneau in the early 90s, traveling frequently throughout Southeast for work. And I also spent many hours stuck in SE AK airports due to below-minimum ceilings before the fog-busting radar was available ...
A quick question for you, Kaphias: I can't place the view of the channel that you posted from your blueberry pancake home - it looks a bit like the view from Vanderbilt Hill, but I'm not sure. Can you help me out?
Nice read. I like reading reports off the beaten path and Spokane and Juneau are places I'm unlikely to find myself in any time soon.
Alaska the airline seems like a decent enough alternative(and I really understand why you want to be on unusual aircraft types) and Alaska itself is something I'd like to visit.
Alaska the airline seems like a decent enough alternative(and I really understand why you want to be on unusual aircraft types) and Alaska itself is something I'd like to visit.
Nice report - I still haven't flown the combi, but would love too in the near future.
The AN-124 was a regular in SEA, BFI, & PAE during the port strike. Pretty sure it was ferrying spare parts around the world. It's also one of the few planes that can carry a GE-90
The AN-124 was a regular in SEA, BFI, & PAE during the port strike. Pretty sure it was ferrying spare parts around the world. It's also one of the few planes that can carry a GE-90
Sep 25, 2015, 9:36 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: ANC
Programs: AS; Hyatt; Bonvoy
Posts: 1,718
I lived way up on Vanderbilt Hill for a while many moons ago, and recall being able to look way over to see the runway on clear days.