FlyerTalk Forums - MSY-RSW-MSY

My brother is racing down in Ft. Myers (APBA Offshore Powerboat race), so I decide to go down and see him race.

MSY-ATL

I was ticketed on the 3:50 DL MSY-ATL flight, but I was able to get to the airport early because of a last minute change in my schedule. I went intending to stand-by for the 1:50 DL flight, but I notice a 1:20 flight with the flight number 9644. Those really high flight numbers usually indicate an extra flight section (not normally scheduled), so I ask to fly stand-by on that when I checked in. I had to give up a systemwide (this made me nervous because I was standing by and I could have gotten nothing for giving this up since I was standing by). I asked the CRC agent what type of plane it was and he told me 767 and was not being all that helpful, so I didn't ask him to clarify that as to -200 (18 FC seats) or -300 (24 FC seats).

I checked my e-mail and such in the CRC and had a couple of margaritas before heading out to the gate. I get there just as everyone is deplaning from coming in. Most everyone sticks around ... apparently they were all standing by for the next leg of the trip. Not a lot of people in the gatehouse at all, which I guess is why the CRC agent told me I'd have no problem getting on.

Finally they call my name and I get 1B. I hate bulkhead seats so I ask for a non-bulkhead seat. She types away and gives me 6A. This confuses me and I tell her there is no 6A on a 767 ... unless it's an international plane (why would an international plane be flying MSY-ATL ...). Well, it is an international plane!

They finally start boarding (the 1:20 flight time is actually 20 minutes late ... though I don't know how a flight that isn't regularly scheduled can really be late http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ). I look for 6A ... well, it turns out I was right ... there is no 6A. I take 5C and no one ever comes to claim it, so I'm okay (the guy in 5D next to me had 6B himself). Well, it's Biz Elite ... and the stories are true, those seats in BE 767's are pretty narrow. Not uncomfortably so (and I don't exactly have a compact ...), but they are narrow. For me, shoulder/elbow room is more important anyway as long as my butt's not squeezed in, and that was fine. They really should have probably used the same seats as on the 777 and gone 2-1-2. One problem though is the the center console between the seats sticks out so far, I couldn't cross my legs in one direction because my foot on the crossed leg wanted to go where the console was ...

The seats are very nice ... the plane has the same phone/TV controller as the 777 with the gamepad on it, but I don't think the 767 has games, does it (of course the 777 I flew on later didn't have the games either, but they may have been turned off or something). The entertainment system was nice, but they didn't run the movies, so I could only use it to watch the airshow (which I could do on the big screens anyway) or select a music program.

Being in the front cabin there were 30 seats, every one occupied (lots of inconvenienced folks bumped to FC and some non-revs I think ... all the DFW flights the day before had been delayed/cancelled, and this plane had come in from DFW) and only two FA's, so service was a bit slow. I had some beer and some of that yummy new granola/berry mix (it really is yummy!). The seat was very comfortable during the flight ... the only problem is they need some sort of storage compartment within reach for reading materials and such.

ATL-RSW

I got in to ATL and went to the A17 CRC (The Atrium CRC is closed on Saturday) and settled in to watch the Trailblazers get totally and utterly destroyed by the Lakers while enjoying a few JW Dundee Honey Browns.

I was standing by for the earlier flight to RSW than I was ticketed on, and they called my name shortly after I arrived at the game, and I did clear into FC standing by ... got seat 6A on a 757-200 (24 F seats). When I got on the FA was talking to the guy in 6B (ex military pilot) and the FA's treated us both good for the flight. The snack was the usual chicken salad (Thai salad this time I think, they change a few ingredients and the dressing to make different salads) ... I like the chicken salads, I just wish there was more of it! I gave the two FA's in First Above and Beyond cards, but then as I'm leaving once we got to RSW she tells me I should fill out the one in the magazine instead ... well, I just told her they're the same thing (aren't they) because I wanted to get going.

RSW

Got a Full-size car from Hertz ... bus picked me up in less than a minute and I went in and picked up the car, no problem. 2000 Ford Taurus, over 9000 miles on it (kind of high for a Hertz rental ...). Shouldn't even have bothered with it in the end, my brother had two cars with him, his boss had just bought him a brand new 2000 Chevy Silverado (company "car") that I drove most of the weekend to go along with his company van that was also there (he works the boat races too ... his company, Kinetic Animation does vinyl graphics for the race boats among other things ... if you ever need any vinyl graphics, give him a call).

First night I stayed at the Fairfield Inn. Nothing spectacular, but the continental breakfast was well stocked when I hit it in the morning (unlike the other Fairfield Inn's I've stayed at where they didn't seem to restock it).

On Sunday my brother raced and he won his class ... so the trip was definitely worth it!

Sunday night I stayed at the Hampton Inn. I checked in and got my room. They had a nice "welcome basket" of an 8 oz. bottle of water, 1 ounce bag of Cooler Ranch Doritos, and a pack of 6 Oreo cookies waiting in the room (I'm HHonors Gold). Nothing great, but not bad for a $55/night notel either! Only stayed in the hotel for about 7 hours, but when I checked out at 5:25 AM they already had the breakfast out that really surprised me! They had sausage and egg patties sitting on a table that you threw in the microwave to heat up. I took one of each, put it on an English Muffin and heated it for two minutes (the sign said to heat for 1 to 2 minutes in the microwave) and it was quite hot and I was ready to head to the airport with breakfast in hand.

The rental car drop off took 2 minutes (there was a guy out there with a scanner, even at 5:30 AM) and the bus got me to the terminal 2 minutes later ... very fast efficient service on Hertz part. The only problem was I did not get credit for a coupon I had, they never collected it and I didn't feel like fixing it after he gave me my total and receipt (it was only about $7 difference).

RSW-MCO

Check in agent does not collect the systemwide I used to upgrade my two non-commuter flights (I was even digging it out but by the time I got it out she had handed me my boarding passes, so I wasn't going to waste any more of her time). Canadair jet to MCO ... completely full, and they just boarded everyone at once. Called all-aboard and that was it. Uneventful 20 minute flight ... the only thing that surprised me was how long and wide the runway at RSW is ... Is it an emergency landing site for the space shuttle or something?

MCO-ATL

Arrived at MCO and went to the CRC after checking my gate to see if the 777 for my flight was there. Still a 767 for an earlier flight though (I was concerned the plane would get switched because of a thread here on FT, and I had specifically taken this longer routing to try out the 777). Up in the CRC I tried out the new computers they put in ... they were excrutiatingly slow so I just ended up getting my laptop out anyway. While I'm up there I see a DL 777 land and pull up to my gate ... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Go down to the gate 35 minutes before the flight and its packed. When they call Business Class boarding, it seems like everyone is in Biz Elite. The guy in front of me was not however and got turned away from the gate. I had 2J on the flight. The 777 Biz Elite seat is noticeably wider than the 767 Biz Elite seat. Soon after take off and reclining my seat a bit (not into full sleep mode) I'm out like a light. I wake up a short while later (I can never take very long naps on flights for some reason) I wake up and go up and get a couple bottles of water and three bags of the yummy granola mix ... the FA asked me if they missed me and I just said I had been asleep and it was no problem. I play with the video system a little and discover no games on the 777 either (I thought the 777 had 'em ... or was it disabled?) and no movies ... again it was only good for selecting a music channel or watching the airshow.

We land at ATL and arrive in E concourse.

ATL-MSY

I check the monitors upon arrival and see an earlier ATL-MSY flight leaving in 15 minutes so I boogey on over to B-24 to see if they have any seats. No FC, but 11D on the 737-800 is open ... good enough for me. I give up my FC seat on the later flight and take 11D (someone owes me one http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ). Quick flight, they served the new snack mix bags which are pretty good for snack mix bags. The quality of DL's snack bags is improving now that they have some good ones and a fairly wide variety (peanuts, pretzels, almonds, snack mix, and granola mix). Drink a few more bottles of water (had six on the previous flight) and get home ... and that's it http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Oh, DL hasn't posted the miles for my ATL-MSY flight yet ... unusually slow for them ... I'll give them until tomorrow before dropping them an e-mail.