Six Straight Nights of Air Travel - Where to Start

I guess I'll start with leaving Hartford and going to PIT via BWI on Southwest.  As usual, all is well, no problems.  It was snowing in PIT and having moved to Florida, ugggh.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA3561/history/20130220/2220Z/KBDL/KBWI

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA365/history/20130221/0055Z/KBWI/KPIT

One day in PIT then home for one night to TPA.  And I had booked Delta through DTW.  I guess I got too greedy, things had been going to well with DL lately.

Once work ends, I go out to the rental car and turn on the cell, and instantly get the much dreaded voice mail from Delta telling me that the flight out of PIT is delayed by 50 minutes.  And my connection was one hour.

So I go to the DL counter in PIT and of course, there's nothing that will get me home tonight, so I just say that I'll take care of it on my own.

Which I did by jumping into a line at the next counter which is Southwest.  As luck would have it, by the time I call SWA and book the next flights, I'm right at the kiosk and out rolls C group boarding passes for a connection in BWI.

I take the boarding passes, and go back to DL and they issue a refund to my credit card, right at the counter.  That surprised me honestly!

So I go through security, (no PRE available) and am strolling leisurely around and notice that Air Tran has a nonstop to TPA leaving in just 30 minutes.  I walk up and ask if I can buy a ticket.  Oddly enough, the merger with SWA must not be going well at least for customers because:

1. The agent at SWA who I spoke to on the phone never offered me the Air Tran nonstop.  They must be under pressure to fill Southwest metal.
2. The Southwest agent at the Air Tran gate (confused now?) could NOT sell me the ticket witout literally  jumping on the Air Tran website and buying it online!  Pretty wild.

Now the worst part.  Once I got the ticket for a B737, we are all waiting for the inbound to arrive.  But BEFORE our inbound pulls in, another inbound B717 pulls in and parks at our gate.  The gate agents quickly announced that since the pilot pulled into the wrong gate, they would have to work the 717 (bound for MCO) FIRST, then get our flight worked!

This created a 45 minute delay into Tampa!

What a damn mess this was!

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/TRS1613/history/20130221/2241Z/KPIT/KTPA

After one night in my bed, it was time to go back to Hartford for the fourth time in four weeks and the second time in 4 days.

Delta B752 out of TPA to connect with the MD88 to BDL.  All I know is we were ontime, and since I had flown 4 nights in a row, at this point, I can't remember much!

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL2010/history/20130222/2100Z/KTPA/KATL

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL752/history/20130222/2310Z/KATL/KBDL

Worked Saturday afternoon in Newtown, CT (yes, so sad) and back to TPA on Delta.  Oddly, a CRJ700 flies the afternoon departure to ATL.

Got to ATL, saw a delayed flight to TPA and jumped on it and got home 2 hours before I was scheduled to.  The thing was packed, it's that time of year in Tampa Bay, but I gladly took the coach window seat.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL5465/history/20130223/2140Z/KBDL/KATL

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL1491/history/20130224/0059Z/KATL/KTPA

And finally, the sixth straight night of flying had me going from TPA to Roanoke, VA.  I always like these trips, I was born and raised very near ROA.

Delta through ATL again, and a CRJ700 out of ATL to ROA and we were 5 minutes early!  I will take that any day on the famous "Delta Connection" carriers.

Let's hope I get out of ROA on time on Wednesday so I can have a few days off in sunny, warm, Florida.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL2172/history/20130224/2215Z/KTPA/KATL
Bad chop on this trip!

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/ASQ5174/history/20130225/0130Z/KATL/KROA

25,079 miles year to date already!