Nashville to Midway

My travel is down over 10 percent this year from last year. Whereas that does hit me in the wallet, I've noticed that not being up in the air as much has certainly calmed my nerves. Today, we left BNA 3 minutes early and arrived at MDW 10 minutes early. You guessed it, Southwest.

Thanks SWA for getting me home early for a nice weekend!

If this stuff continues, I'll have to start writing a blog about lousy hotel internet service.

Out to Phoenix on Tuesday, Delta. Flying a legacy carrier through a hub (in this case Salt Lake) always raises the blood pressure.

Los Angeles to Nashville on Memorial Day

I spent a week in SoCal as they call it, and half of that time was spent down in San Diego visiting my daughter. She has hit the jackpot job wise, and she is living just one block from the beach, slightly south of La Jolla. Lucky girl, she has the best weather in America. I'm in Nashville tonight undergoing something that I miss now that I live up north; a violent thunderstorm. Of course these storms play havoc with flights, but speaking of that, my Southwest flight was 10 minutes early. Again.

I do think they may be padding the schedule times somewhat, but I don't care.

Flying on a big holiday is a bit depressing, but I had a great weekend with my daughter. Honey, I miss you tonight!

The flight was around 50 percent full, but that did not stop at least 10 people from lining up in the A group line (when their boarding passes plainly said B)

I guess "dumbass behavior" does not take holidays. I'll work up in Kentucky this week, back to Chicago on Friday - and spring finally arrived there!

The Psychology of Being Delayed - Who Else but Delta?

I'm writing from the Sky Club or whatever they call them now at Delta. I flew the SkyWest CR9 here from ORD today, and right on time. I think I know why; it's a beautiful weather day all over the nation.

This did not stop SkyWest from posting a delay on my trip to Los Angeles. I'm still sitting here waiting it out.

Take a look at the pic; you can see how everything here in SLC is running on time, except the flight to LAX!

Of course no body knows why, no one will take ownership of any delays on beautiful days. I guess the sun is just too bright to fly on time.

So, the psychology is difficult when you realize your flight is the only late flight running through an entire legacy hub! This has happened to the veterans travelers many times, and we all know this. Uggh!

Postcript to the above:

Now that I'm in LA (and we had an earthquake 2 miles from here last night, 4.7 on the Richter scale - the hotel I'm in shook terribly!) here is the reason for the delay:

The inbound aircraft came in from Los Cabos, Mexico, and had to go through some kind of "security screening" upon its arrival. Only problem was, "whoever" (TSA?) does this screening did not show up for 45 minutes. Classic Delta-style delay!

We finally boarded and pushed back and I saw a big roller bag just lying on the tarmac at SLC. And no one was around. Pity the poor person who is the owner of this checked bag. They paid to have this happen, plus the computer will show that it just vanished until somebody gathers it up and rescans it.

I wanted to grab my camera and take a pic of it, but I couldn't get it as it was up in the overhead.

Then I have to wait 45 minutes for the hotel shuttle bus, then endure this quake, lol. But the worst part continues to be Delta and their lack of professionalism when it comes to delays.

Baltimore to Midway - Again

Another SWA flight and another on time arrival despite closing the doors 20 minutes late. This was due to a slightly late arriving aircraft and the usual full load back to Chicago. I am again so thankful to Bose for inventing noise canceling headphones; two very small children in the row behind me screamed for the better part of the flight.

The parents of course were completely oblivious to the effect this had on their "fellow passengers"; I'm sure if you asked them they thought the entire 735 belonged to them.

Los Angeles in two more days, Delta through SLC. I have noticed that flying through SLC is not nearly as chaotic as ATL.

Chicago to Baltimore - SWA 20 Minutes Early

Well, the name of the post says it all. After several weeks without flying SWA, it was again nice to have a flight with none of the bush league nonsense the legacy carriers put you through - namely, inability to find a jet bridge driver (see previous post).

I had just a couple of thoughts going through security at MDW today. TSA makes it so obvious when one of their "behavioral experts" is around. There is no stealth at all, the person is uniformed and just looks at everybody. But the good news is that secondary screening seemed to go away as quickly as it reappeared recently. Maybe I am just lucky.

Of course no SWA experience is complete without some dumbass who can not figure out the boarding procedure. Tonight, I held A18 and watched some "intelligent looking" woman hop right up in the front. Only problem was, she was holding C12. When these people get turned back by the gate agent, I just can't help but think that these poor souls are literally, and cetainly, intellectually lost.

The flight was almost full and noisy; thank you Bose for keeping me sane!

Back to Chicago on Thursday night.

Cincy to Chicago - Delta - Just When Things Started Looking Better

Flew up from CVG on SkyWest metal today, CRJ900, a really nice plane particularly in first class on the "A" side.

As the title of the post implies, not all was perfect, even though the flight was on time.

As in:

We are on the approach to ORD. A flight attendant grabs the mic and states that "I'll go over the connections with you for those who are connecting in Chicago. If you are going on to Los Angeles, that flight departs from gate B6".

Only one problem. ORD is not a Delta hub, this genius was reading the connections for the prior flight that this CRJ had made into CVG. And she read them all off! And there was absolutely no acknowledgement or ownership of this bush league stuff.

I really wonder why the airlines hire this kind of brain power to "ensure our safety".

Next, and this is worse, the CR9 parks at the gate. And we sit. And we sit. It's the same old tired Delta story; no agent is available (due to "austerity") to attach the jet bridge.

This holds us in the hull for 10 extra minutes. The cockpit was exasperated; they kept apologizing.

And I wanted to pick up the phone and call Virginia Avenue and ask them why Southwest never has this problem. Not one time on SWA metal have we been forced to stand in the aisle.

And just when I thought DL had all the dots connected. Sadly, still, no.

Hell has Frozen Over in Atlanta! (on Virginia Avenue)

This is old news actually, but Delta has finally started offering free wireless internet in their Crown Rooms/World Clubs/World Rooms, (whatever the hell they call it now).

Paying for internet at the elite level has been an insult to high mileage Delta flyers for years. And I think I know why things are changing in the clubs - the Northwest clubs are/were so much nicer!

I can just imagine the hand wringing that took place on Virginia Avenue over the discrepancies between DL and NW clubs.

Don't let the spin fool you, Delta is the same cheap outfit that crams people into run down clubs in Atlanta (if you don't believe this, go into the club at the B24 gate; it's a wonder the fire marshall does not shut it down for overcrowding)

Now, even better news; I'm in the club at CVG composing this post and the DL agent is telling me that the former NW manager of their clubs now has the same job at DL. Meaning, not only free internet, but all that food/juice/fruit/cookies and things that made the NW clubs so nice!

This is great news, but don't take a victory lap yet! I'm in CVG still eating the old Biscoff cookies that DL has served for the last 10 years; no fruit yet!

Happy Mother's Day to all moms everywhere!