Sorry for (MY) Delay

The first few months of the year are the busiest for me, and I just got too busy to update.

This winter has been absolute hell for the air traveler and I consider myself very lucky that I only had to wipe out one trip (JFK to ATL) due to a polar vortex.

But since I posted last I flew the following segments:

Newark/Houston Hobby/Brownsville, TX
Tampa/Atlanta/Seattle
Seattle/Los Angeles/Tampa (Delta, wild routing but worked)
Tampa/Hartford  (JetBlue, nice)
Hartford/Atlanta/Tampa
Atlanta/Tampa/Atlanta/Las Vegas/Atlanta/Tampa/Atlanta
Monterey, Mexico/Atlanta/Tampa

Recently formed opinions include:

Forget the traditional first class upgrade.  I'll get them on most segments, but on long haul segments, forget it.  I've started buying first.  Delta has succeeded in monetizing first class.  I feel sorry for the usual list of 50-70 people on the list into and out of Tampa.

And finally, and we all knew it was coming, Delta announced yesterday the complete monetization of their Sky Miles program.

And it doesn't upset me, but the message boards are on fire today.

I just wish they would thin the herd as they have too many elites.

I'm on my island for the next 2 weeks and I'm loving it.

Baltimore is next.

JFK Back to Atlanta - Day 3 of 5 - Not Going to Happen

5 cities in 5 days in the winter.  I had my doubts.  Today they were realized.

Got up this morning here in NYC and turned on the television and hear about "Winter Storm something or other" (They all have names now, adding to the drama and the tension).

I know DL bails out of snowstorms very quickly, and the storm was to arrive around noon.

I quickly jumped online and luckily grabbed a reservation here at the same airport hotel I spent last night in.

And at 10 AM, I got the call from DL, flight cancelled.

But at least I have a roof over my head tonight.  I'll bet the terminals across the street at JFK are just a zoo.

So I had to call the customer in Atlanta and cancel on him.  Now I get to drive over to New Jersey tomorrow to work on Thursday.

A Polar Vortex is coming in again.  It's already 16 F.

**sigh**

Would much rather be home in Pass A Grille where it's in the 60s.

Savannah to JFK - Day 2 of 5 in a Row

Delta through Atlanta to JFK.  It worked, but I couldn't help but notice that the TSA checkpoint at SAV is identical to Amarillo.

And SAV has Pre, the entire product.  No bag check today.


http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL1475/history/20140120/2335Z/KSAV/KATL

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL1750/history/20140121/0245Z/KATL/KJFK

Tampa To Savannah - 5 Cities in 5 Days

A lot of people ask about travel, and with some level of hyperbole I say I've done 5 cities in 5 days.  Not really, maybe 4 in 5 and certainly 3 in 5.

But this week it's:

Savannah
JFK Airport
Atlanta
Newark NJ area
Brownsville, TX

5 straight nights of flying!

Hoping for the best, prepared for it to blow up.

The trip up here to SAV was a good start, all on time.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL2172/history/20140119/2215Z/KTPA/KATL

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL668/history/20140120/0245Z/KATL/KSAV

Amarillo to Tampa - Weird TSA Pre Twist

My annual January trip to AMA is over.  I've flown out of there many times since 9/11.  Why is TSA so weird there?  I won't go through all the strange things I've had to do to get through security there, but this time my boarding pass said "Pre" and as I approached security I got the three beeps and a plastic card with TSA logo on it.  OK, I suppose.

So I get to the machines and take the cell phone out and walk through.  Then I hear "bag check!" and wonder what the heck.

So they look at the liquids, etc an re scan the bag.

I asked the agent about this.  I said I thought Pre meant the liquids were ok.

To which I was told, "Here at Amarillo the passenger is eligible for Pre but not the bags."

HUH?

I guess this simply means that you can keep your shoes on and that's about it.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA613/history/20140117/2135Z/KAMA/KDEN

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA1964/history/20140118/0001Z/KDEN/KTPA

Tampa to Amarillo - Easier this Year

It's time for my annual trip to AMA.  Everything I posted on this blog a year ago is still true.  It's a tough place to get to.

I get a text from Southwest at 830 AM telling me that my 5:15 pm departure is already 15 minutes late.  How can you know this far in advance?  Probably a crew rest issue.  Who knows.

We end up leaving TPA 20 minutes late.  We eventually get into AMA 30 minutes late.

I'm not sure I've ever gotten into AMA on time.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA215/history/20140112/2215Z/KTPA/KHOU

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA56/history/20140113/0200Z/KHOU/KDAL

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA56/history/20140113/0325Z/KDAL/KAMA

O'Hare to Tampa via ATL

After 6 days if putting up with a polar vortex and all the mayhem that goes with it, time to go home to my island for just 20 hours.

But

Ahh, yes, the 717 loads on time at ORD.  This is the first Delta B717 I've flown on.  They came from Air Tran and they have cleaned up quite nicely.  First is nice as well.

But

So we close the door and sit.  And we sit.  Cockpit comes over the PA and states that they are waiting on "performance numbers".  Now while I know what this means, the reality is that we arrive 20 minutes late into ATL.  That's just enough of a delay to cause chaos once we get to the gate.  The usual number of passengers running over each other to make the connection.

**sigh** "Performance number delay.

My connection to TPA was late.  "We are waiting on our flight attendants to arrive".  You know the drill.  Nothing is automatic with a hub and spoke carrier.

And my time at home on Pass A Grille got cut by an hour over this.  Amarillo is next.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL393/history/20140111/2000Z/KORD/KATL

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL2376/history/20140111/2251Z/KATL/KTPA