DFW-CID-STL-DFW
May 7, 2000 | 10:31 pm
#1
Original Poster
In Memoriam
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA USA
Posts: 638
DFW-CID-STL-DFW
I just got back from a weekend trip to Iowa for a friend's wedding. I bought a very inexpensive ticket on TWA so I had to forgo Onepass partners for this one.
DFW-CID (plus stop in STL)-5 May TWA 486 MD-83
This was only my second roundtrip on TWA. I flew them to Gatwick about 3 years ago and I have to say that I have noticed a mark improvement. The plane was clean and very attactive on the inside. Judging from the Boeing placard on the front door instead of a MD one this must have been one of the last MD-80s delivered. I also like the seats, it's refreshing to have an "old style" coach seat instead of the hard as a rock ones that are now making their way to Continental and American. Who cares if there is a winged adjustable headrest when the seat is uncomfortable??? Seat pitch seemed about 32". The flight was delayed about 15 minutes due to the late arriving flight from STL. Once the door was closed we were delayed another 15 minutes or so before push-back because of an ATC problem. Once we finally left the gate the tarmac was full of AAirplanes. This with the additional delay of leaving from the east side runways pushed us pack to about an hour delay. The weather in Dallas was very wet during the day but was just overcast by the time of my flight (5:20 PM). The turbulence was very heavy during the frist 30 minutes of the flights with the flight attendants being made to sit during this time. A beverage service was then served and the flight attendants were in good spirits. However, even though the website stated this was a snack flight, only first class got food service. After landing in St. Louis, the ground crew turned the aircraft in about 20 minutes with the end result being an on-time departure for Cedar Rapids. Of course the flight from Dallas was only half full and there were maybe 40 people on the Cedar Rapids leg. Same good flight attendants on the flight with a full beverage service on the short 35 minute flight. We actually arrived about 10 minutes early. The Cedar Rapids airport is very small with the security gate all ready closed. Made my way to the Hertz counter and rented an Outback. Rather cool vehical. I stayed at the Collins Plaza Hotel on the North side of Cedar Rapids. It's not a bad hotel. Atrium style which looked alot like the typical Embassy Suites. It turns out that the owner of this hotel operates quite a few Embassy Suites so I'm not sure if they stole the blueprints or if Promus/Hilton just didn't want to be in Iowa.
CID-STL 7 May TWA 394 MD-83
Another clean MD-83, but not quite as new as the last one. This had a MD placge but did not show the birth date of the plane. Another very light load. Beverage service with effecient flight attendants and with on-time departure. Again we get to the gate about 10 minutes early.
STL-DFW 7 May TWA 569 717-200
I scheduled this particular flight to get a 717. I just love it when I get to fly a new plane type. I have been wanting to fly one since they started last fall and almost took an Airtran flight last year just to get on one. This plane per the pilot in the row behind me has been flying for only a week. It had the great new car smell. It was also the brightest cabin I have ever been in. A pair of sunglasses should be in the seat back pocket. It also had the largest overhead bins of any narrowbody I have ever seen. Very nice plane. The flight was almost full, again only a beverage service with an on-time departure. We landed on the east side of DFW and ended up a few minutes late due to another traffic jam. My only bad comment on the 717 is why didn't TWA put in an audio/video system. Even though it's designed for the sub 1000 mile journey, in this day and age of competition, it would surely help. I found TWA to be in much better operating condition this time. Hopefully they will start making a profit soon!
DFW-CID (plus stop in STL)-5 May TWA 486 MD-83
This was only my second roundtrip on TWA. I flew them to Gatwick about 3 years ago and I have to say that I have noticed a mark improvement. The plane was clean and very attactive on the inside. Judging from the Boeing placard on the front door instead of a MD one this must have been one of the last MD-80s delivered. I also like the seats, it's refreshing to have an "old style" coach seat instead of the hard as a rock ones that are now making their way to Continental and American. Who cares if there is a winged adjustable headrest when the seat is uncomfortable??? Seat pitch seemed about 32". The flight was delayed about 15 minutes due to the late arriving flight from STL. Once the door was closed we were delayed another 15 minutes or so before push-back because of an ATC problem. Once we finally left the gate the tarmac was full of AAirplanes. This with the additional delay of leaving from the east side runways pushed us pack to about an hour delay. The weather in Dallas was very wet during the day but was just overcast by the time of my flight (5:20 PM). The turbulence was very heavy during the frist 30 minutes of the flights with the flight attendants being made to sit during this time. A beverage service was then served and the flight attendants were in good spirits. However, even though the website stated this was a snack flight, only first class got food service. After landing in St. Louis, the ground crew turned the aircraft in about 20 minutes with the end result being an on-time departure for Cedar Rapids. Of course the flight from Dallas was only half full and there were maybe 40 people on the Cedar Rapids leg. Same good flight attendants on the flight with a full beverage service on the short 35 minute flight. We actually arrived about 10 minutes early. The Cedar Rapids airport is very small with the security gate all ready closed. Made my way to the Hertz counter and rented an Outback. Rather cool vehical. I stayed at the Collins Plaza Hotel on the North side of Cedar Rapids. It's not a bad hotel. Atrium style which looked alot like the typical Embassy Suites. It turns out that the owner of this hotel operates quite a few Embassy Suites so I'm not sure if they stole the blueprints or if Promus/Hilton just didn't want to be in Iowa.
CID-STL 7 May TWA 394 MD-83
Another clean MD-83, but not quite as new as the last one. This had a MD placge but did not show the birth date of the plane. Another very light load. Beverage service with effecient flight attendants and with on-time departure. Again we get to the gate about 10 minutes early.
STL-DFW 7 May TWA 569 717-200
I scheduled this particular flight to get a 717. I just love it when I get to fly a new plane type. I have been wanting to fly one since they started last fall and almost took an Airtran flight last year just to get on one. This plane per the pilot in the row behind me has been flying for only a week. It had the great new car smell. It was also the brightest cabin I have ever been in. A pair of sunglasses should be in the seat back pocket. It also had the largest overhead bins of any narrowbody I have ever seen. Very nice plane. The flight was almost full, again only a beverage service with an on-time departure. We landed on the east side of DFW and ended up a few minutes late due to another traffic jam. My only bad comment on the 717 is why didn't TWA put in an audio/video system. Even though it's designed for the sub 1000 mile journey, in this day and age of competition, it would surely help. I found TWA to be in much better operating condition this time. Hopefully they will start making a profit soon!
