FlyerTalk Forums - UA DCA-ORD-DCA

What a pleasure to park in the hourly lot, walk across the bridge and be in the heart of Reagan National Airport. Security is always a breeze here, with plenty of people manning the detectors, the same people you see at all the airports (they must move them around very quickly) probing my cell phone and my palmpilot. This should be called Congressional Airport, because congress is the reason it's here and it's so good.

I hopped onto an Airbus 320 in 2A. Nobody asked me for certs so I waltzed onto the plane, pleasently surprised that on this 611 mile trip I didn't have to pay for an upgrade.

Beautiful clear morning at 10:30 takeoff to see Washington DC down there in all it's splendor. No pre-flight drinks but very, very attentive service. No meal either, just those "party" bag atrocities. The FA was eating salmon. Crew meals only (this is a new one, isn't it, in "employee class" !!)

In ORD I went to the nearest RCC to cash a check. This is the fifth or sixth time I've tried to cash a check with RCC and never been able to. They never do it in SFO, never in IAD, never anywhere. This one didn't either, but suggested that I try the other RCC near B6. So I went there, and lo and behold they actually cashed a check for me.

Taxied to my meeting on N. Michigan and Lake. I had brought a heavy jacket but it must have been 65 or 70 degrees, warm and beautiful in Chicago. I spotted a Giordano's "famous stuffed pizza" and although I don't generally eat pizza I couldn't resist.

I wish I had, though. The spinach salad was the "lazy" variety with the components in big pieces, whole leaves, left to the devices of the person eating it to tear the pieces apart. The pizza was all dough and little else. The only thing that could be said for it was it was quick.

I went to my meeting and walked outside and immediately found a cab back to ORD. I had a little time to kill and returned to the B6 RCC. Got my boarding pass. They had upgraded me, no certs this time either.

I went to the bar and ordered a club soda with lemon and bitters, which is marvelous if you haven't tried it. I sat down and started reading the Industry Standard when I heard my name called on the PA. Uh oh, the shoe finally dropped. I approached the desk and the UA person said, "you didn't give me your certs" as if it was my fault, my moral lapse for not reminding her, and handing them over. So I gave her 2 but then she said that I only needed 1, which is news to me as I though that any flight over 500 miles...

Boarding was uneventful, and again no snack, nothing really to eat excep the carb bag. I sat in the dreaded 1A bulkhead on the 737, which is the awfulest seat. I might as well have sat in coach and had more legroom. On the same row starboard side there is an indentation and much more legroom and on 1B you can move your feet into the aisle but 1A is prison!

Aside from the lack of food, the FA was very, very attentive going back also. I asked and was told that they don't do snacks except during meal times, and I left at 10:30 and went back at 3:30 and this isn't a meal time according to UA (and therefore no snack, so there!)

A gorgeous day and a great flight. I listened to ATC the whole way back to National. Walked the short distance to my car, what a convenience!

This was as perfect a daytrip as I can remember. Best of all, no hotel to stay at, no packing/unpacking, and everything just falling into place (except for that one cert that I had to give up after all!)