DL DCA-JFK
May 21, 2000 | 11:02 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA 1K, AA Gold
Posts: 3,640
DL DCA-JFK
DL 746, Thursday May 18, 2000
DCA - JFK, 3:15pm to 4:25pm
MD-88, N944DL
My business in DC took longer than expected, so I hopped on the Metro to go back to the hotel when I should have been hopping on the Metro to go to the airport. Left the Omni Shoreham around 2:15pm. Long line to check out. I realize I am close to missing my flight, so I give the key to a manager, because I had no time for lines. I get scared of getting caught in traffic if I took a taxi, so I went to DCA on Metro, despite having lots of luggage. The posted travel time is 26 minutes, so I figure I really cant go wrong. After all, 2:15pm + 26 minutes is 2:41pm, 34 minutes before flight time. But it was a few minutes walk from the hotel to the Metro, and the escalator at Woodley Park station is long, long, long.
Arrived at DCA around 2:50pm and raced to the DL line. Lucky for me, DL has a ticket counter right next to the Metro station, so it saved me going upstairs. I told the red coat that I was on the 3:15pm to JFK and she said I should make the 20 minute cutoff. She also remarked there was weather in NYC and the LGA Shuttle was running behind, so lots of standbys going to JFK. I reached the front of the line at 2:57pm, missing the cut off by 2 minutes. The red coat told the agent to check me in, even though I was late.
Whew! That was close. Anyway, the 20 minute rule is no big deal, because the flight is not completely fullmaybe 80% or so. We push slightly early, just past 3:10pm and have a very fast taxi and are airborne by 3:20pm. I guess they had a landing slot at JFK they didnt want to lose.
Flight itself is very quick, it is a Fast Break service flight, just a choice of cran-apple, lemonade, or water, plus snack mix. Very friendly DFW based F/As. We encountered some light chop enroute.
The descent seemed slow. I dont know the NYC area well, but I think we were circling. Some wind gusts meant a rough landing. We docked at Gate 1; the terminal looked very attractive, but the baggage claim area was quite rundown and had no restrooms. Bags came out quickly, and then I quickly hopped on a shuttle to Terminal 6 for my UAL flight to SFO.
A quick note..this DL trip DCA-JFK was a Priceline ticket (bid $40, they tacked on $36 in taxes for a total of $76), because my plans for DC came up after I had ticketed with UA out of JFK. There were only 2 jet flights on DL from DCA to JFK, and the later one was sold out of L class, so I gambled that Priceline wouldnt ticket me on the commuter flights; I knew they would not put me on the later DCA-JFK because there was no L inventory, and this is what farecode Priceline uses, in my experiece. I also added $50 in NetMarket bonus money to my bid and was accepted on the first try.
According to the receipt from Delta, Priceline paid a total of $98 for my ticketso I guess Netmarket must pay them a lot of money, or they most be losing money on the transaction. Who knows.
DCA - JFK, 3:15pm to 4:25pm
MD-88, N944DL
My business in DC took longer than expected, so I hopped on the Metro to go back to the hotel when I should have been hopping on the Metro to go to the airport. Left the Omni Shoreham around 2:15pm. Long line to check out. I realize I am close to missing my flight, so I give the key to a manager, because I had no time for lines. I get scared of getting caught in traffic if I took a taxi, so I went to DCA on Metro, despite having lots of luggage. The posted travel time is 26 minutes, so I figure I really cant go wrong. After all, 2:15pm + 26 minutes is 2:41pm, 34 minutes before flight time. But it was a few minutes walk from the hotel to the Metro, and the escalator at Woodley Park station is long, long, long.
Arrived at DCA around 2:50pm and raced to the DL line. Lucky for me, DL has a ticket counter right next to the Metro station, so it saved me going upstairs. I told the red coat that I was on the 3:15pm to JFK and she said I should make the 20 minute cutoff. She also remarked there was weather in NYC and the LGA Shuttle was running behind, so lots of standbys going to JFK. I reached the front of the line at 2:57pm, missing the cut off by 2 minutes. The red coat told the agent to check me in, even though I was late.
Whew! That was close. Anyway, the 20 minute rule is no big deal, because the flight is not completely fullmaybe 80% or so. We push slightly early, just past 3:10pm and have a very fast taxi and are airborne by 3:20pm. I guess they had a landing slot at JFK they didnt want to lose.
Flight itself is very quick, it is a Fast Break service flight, just a choice of cran-apple, lemonade, or water, plus snack mix. Very friendly DFW based F/As. We encountered some light chop enroute.
The descent seemed slow. I dont know the NYC area well, but I think we were circling. Some wind gusts meant a rough landing. We docked at Gate 1; the terminal looked very attractive, but the baggage claim area was quite rundown and had no restrooms. Bags came out quickly, and then I quickly hopped on a shuttle to Terminal 6 for my UAL flight to SFO.
A quick note..this DL trip DCA-JFK was a Priceline ticket (bid $40, they tacked on $36 in taxes for a total of $76), because my plans for DC came up after I had ticketed with UA out of JFK. There were only 2 jet flights on DL from DCA to JFK, and the later one was sold out of L class, so I gambled that Priceline wouldnt ticket me on the commuter flights; I knew they would not put me on the later DCA-JFK because there was no L inventory, and this is what farecode Priceline uses, in my experiece. I also added $50 in NetMarket bonus money to my bid and was accepted on the first try.
According to the receipt from Delta, Priceline paid a total of $98 for my ticketso I guess Netmarket must pay them a lot of money, or they most be losing money on the transaction. Who knows.
