Hello everyone,

Welcome to another trip report of mine. This one will cover a couple of segments while on a recent trip from Europe to North America. The first segment of the trip was covered in: Flying Blue To Amsterdam (by dkdaviator Apr 20 2012 in Trip Reports)


Background:


The overall trip included a stopover in Dallas and then another in Las Vegas. So, naturally, part of the planning for the trip was finding a good way to travel between these two cities. That is the subject of this report.

There certainly are nonstop options available from Dallas to Las Vegas, plenty of them in fact. But somehow that just wouldn't do. I figured with a little searching I could find something better and more interesting than that. As a practical matter I didn't exactly have an unlimited amount of time to use on getting from DFW to LAS. But still I thought there must be something reasonable and more interesting than the simple direct route. Fortunately, with a little looking around I was able to find an intriguing option that included a segment on a 757.   This was quite appealing for me since, being based in Europe, I don't have that many opportunities to sample the 757. Unless your travel plans include a charter flight of some kind, you aren't that likely to encounter the type in Europe (though there are some exceptions).

The most likely candidate routing was one through SLC. And since Utah was not too far out of the way, it fit into the allotted time for getting from DFW to LAS. The connection time at SLC would be a little tight, but it seemed to be "doable" according to the website, so the reservation was made, and I looked forward to catching a ride on the mighty 757. An additional advantage was that it happened to be on Delta, which I had decided to use for the flights between Europe and North America. This allowed me to include the DFW to LAS portion as part of the overall itinerary, simplifying matters a little.


To the airport (DFW):


On the day of departure I naturally woke up a bit early. I think this was probably due to the time shift as I had arrived from Europe to the U.S. just a couple of days before, and was not yet acclimated to the local time in Texas. I had plenty of time to get ready though, as the departure time of my flight wasn't until early afternoon. So I proceeded with a quick shower and then to get ready. After that some breakfast was in order. Some excellent blueberry pancakes were on offer as it turned out!   They were quite nice – I have to apologize for not having taken any pictures.

On the previous day I had arranged for a ride to the airport, which was the next item of business. Fortunately, due to the recent completion of a new motorway in Dallas, the trip to the airport was a relatively quick and direct one, taking just over 30 minutes. We entered the airport through the northern entrance. The DFW Airport really covers a lot of ground. Once past the airport entrance, vehicular traffic is routed onto a kind of "airport motorway" that runs north/south, and provides access to the various terminals that make up the airport. Along the way there are signs that indicate which terminals are used by various airlines. It was interesting to see both Qantas and Emirates are now included in the signage at the airport as I believe they are both relatively new additions to the DFW lineup.

We proceeded to Terminal E, from which my flight was scheduled to depart. This is where many of the “non Oneworld Alliance” carriers seem to be concentrated, at least for domestic flight purposes. As we exited the airport motorway for Terminal E, we then needed to choose one of three sub-exits, depending on the specific departure gate. I was scheduled to leave from gate E12, which meant that the middle sub-exit was the right one to take.

After identifying and taking the appropriate sub-exit, drivers have one additional remaining choice to make to get them to the appropriate location at the airport: ground level or lower level. If dropping off a departing passenger, drivers are directed to a lower level in the terminal area, whereas if they are meeting an arriving passenger, they should remain at ground level. The person driving me to the airport was "in the know" and explained that, even though I was a departing passenger, it was better to proceed to the ground level area. The reasoning was that, when departing passengers are dropped off at the lower level, the first thing they have to do is immediately proceed upstairs to the ground level where the checkin counters are located.    So ground level it was then. (note: this description may make the arrival process by car at DFW seem overly complicated - but it really isn't. It's actually pretty logical, and makes sense when you experience it in person).

As I entered the terminal I proceeded directly to the Delta checkin area. There were quite a few passengers waiting around to be checked in. Fortunately, having some status with Skyteam meant that I could use the First/Business checkin counters. As I arrived at the queue there were three parties already waiting. The line moved pretty quickly though, so before long it was my turn. The checkin agent asked for my identification, typed in a few details, and then tagged my checked luggage. She then printed and handed me boarding passes while wishing me a nice flight. It was all handled pleasantly enough.

With boarding passes in hand, I proceeded to the security checkpoint. There were only a few people in front of me, so in no time it was my turn. The initial security agent checked and verified my boarding pass and passport. Then, like all the other passengers in front of me, I "went through the drill", removing my shoes, removing my belt, removing everything from my pockets, etc. And, of course, I took my laptop out of its case. A couple of quick scans of various types later and I was through. Fortunately no secondary scans, screenings, or prodding were deemed necessary this time. I took a couple of minutes to get "reassembled" and then proceeded onwards from the checkpoint.

I had heard that there are parts of DFW that have been recently renovated and look pretty nice. However, from what I could tell, Terminal E really wasn’t one of them.   It gives a passenger the impression that nothing much has been updated in the terminal since the airport was first built (even if that isn't strictly true). At any rate, it's pretty dated, and could really use some renovation. Economic times may be hard and all, but the airport management should really do something to modernize/update this terminal.

As I had plenty of time, I decided to head off in search of one of the renovated parts of the airport, just to check it out. Though this required transiting to another terminal, it was possible to do so while remaining airside, thanks to the Skylink train that runs between terminals. This was nice as I really did not want to go landside and then eventually have to clear security again. (One can only endure that process so many times in a single day). So I walked down the terminal in search of a Skylink station.

Looks like straight ahead for the Skylink train.

And now a quick turn to the right.




Must be getting close now.


Next I headed up an escalator to reach the Skylink train platform and boarded a train that I hoped would take me to Terminal D - the International Terminal – an area of the airport which I had heard had been recently renovated.



This way to the Skylink Train.




Almost there, just come upstairs.  



On the Skylink Train, heading to Terminal D.



When we arrived at Terminal D it felt like the train had transported us to a completely different airport as it is such a nicer facility. It was so much more modern, roomy, and airy. Hopefully this is an indicator of things to come for Terminal E (and the other parts of the airport in need of an upgrade).

I did not have too much time to spend at Terminal D, but did manage to take a few quick pictures.



A nice gate area in Terminal D.




One of the concessions areas in the terminal.




A nice open area along with some artwork.




A walk way between gate areas in Terminal D.



After a quick stroll through Terminal D I decided it was time to catch the Skylink train back to Terminal E from where my flight was scheduled to depart. As I arrived back to the “DFW slums” I had a quick look around. There were a few shops of various kinds selling newspapers, magazines, books, and various Texas related souvenirs. I stopped by a newsstand/convenience store, just to check out the headlines, but did not wind up buying anything. There were a couple of restaurant establishments around, as well as a sort of mini fast food court with several of the standard US franchises represented.



A fast food area in Terminal E.


Glancing at my watch I decided it was probably time for a pre-departure drink. After all, I was still operating on European time.   At most airports that would seem like a simple enough thing to do. However, it turned out to be a bit more complicated in this particular case. First, I walked into a bar type establishment, I believe it was called a “diner”, in the middle part of Terminal E. As I went up to the bar to place an order the lady serving customers informed me that, since it was a Sunday, and still before noon, customers can only order drinks if they also place a food order. Surprised by her response many thoughts occurred to me including: "what?", "seriously?", "really?", "where are we?".

I looked around and could see several of the other customers had ordered beers or other types of drinks, but they were all eating either a late breakfast or an early lunch. So I checked out the menu. I was really not that hungry at all after just having had a late (and big) breakfast. The smallest item on the menu I could find was a rather large looking breakfast combination/value meal deal. Conveniently there just weren't any small food items that could be ordered to satisfy the "before noon" rule. So I decided that I wasn’t really that thirsty and would just walk around some more.

As I walked around the terminal I soon found another possibility – a proper restaurant type place that also had a bar area. Upon entering and attempting to order I was informed once more of the "before noon" rule. It looked like it must be an airport wide policy. Hmmm, what to do? To make a long story a little shorter, the situation was eventually resolved quite easily by the clever suggestion of another equally frustrated customer. Also wanting to have a drink, but not being hungry, he made the suggestion to order a small food item from the menu and tell the bar server it would be shared between us. When asked if this would satisfy the rule, the bar server just smiled and nodded yes. Problem solved (or at least minimized)!  

A few minutes before the scheduled boarding time for my flight I started walking toward the departure gate (E12). Along the way I noticed a small celebration taking place around gate E17. It was for the inaugural flight of Delta’s DFW – LGA service that was starting that day. Apparently the flight is part of a larger strategy to beef up Delta’s presence in the New York area by offering more direct connections. Some Delta representatives were on hand in the gate area, cooking and handing out hotdogs, drinks, and other small food items. A few balloons also helped to mark the festive occasion. It wasn’t anything too elaborate or fancy, but it was nice to see them make some kind of effort for an inaugural flight.



A celebration for a Delta inaugural flight: DFW to LGA.




Wheeee, let’s all fly to LGA!




Have a hotdog (New York style of course)! It’s on Delta!  

After observing the festivities briefly, I resumed the trek towards my departure gate. Along the way I noticed that, if you look a little harder, in a few places you could spot ways in which Terminal E was trying to keep up with the times, at least in a technical sense. There were power outlets available for recharging electronic devices (if, of course, you have the right kind of adapter), and an Internet station as well.



Power outlets in a waiting area in Terminal E.




Internet access area in a waiting area in Terminal E.


I continued walking through the Delta neighborhood of Terminal E towards my departure gate. As I passed by the gate E 16 area I noticed a lone US Air Express ERJ-170 taxiing by. It looked kind of out of place, almost like it was lost and trying to sneak its way past all the Delta birds unnoticed in order to escape to the safety of the runway.



A lost looking US Air Express ERJ 170 at DFW.




US Air escaping from Delta territory.




Forget where you are? No problem, just check out the headwear for a clue.


I continued walking towards gate E12, arriving just as the boarding process was beginning. I quickly took a moment to try to get a picture of our aircraft for the flight, but could not find any good vantage point. I was only able to get a partial view.



Continuing towards gate E12.




Our ride to SLC.




Delta CRJ700 (N603SK), preparing to take us to SLC.



DFW to SLC
Flight: DL 4640 (Skywest)
Scheduled Departure: 12:41 - Actual Departure: 12:41
Scheduled Arrival: 14:09 - Actual Arrival: 14:10
Seat: 3A (First)


The boarding process was being done by zones. People were starting to line up, eagerly waiting for their zone number to be called by the gate agent. Fortunately, I had been upgraded to F on this flight.   Among other things, this allowed me to board as soon as the process began, which I proceeded to do.





Time to get going to SLC.




A quick peek out the side during boarding revealed a nice sunny day in Texas – a great day to fly!


Flight attendants were posted at the doorway and along the aisle, greeting passengers and directing them to their seats as they boarded the aircraft. I quickly found my way to seat 3A. The layout in F on this CRJ was “1 x 2”. For this type of configuration the “A” seats are a nice choice, as they are both an aisle and window seat, all at the same time.   Row 3 isn’t perfectly aligned with the window – you have to stretch just a little for a view, but not too much.

For some reason there was no boarding/pre-departure drinks service on this flight. I figured it must have been due to the late arrival of the inbound flight to DFW and maybe a delay with the catering service as well. There were small bottles of water provided at each of the seats though, for anyone that might have been thirsty. The F cabin was completely full on this flight.

The flight was scheduled for about 2.5 hours (block time). During the boarding process an announcement from the flight deck informed passengers that our flight from DFW to SLC would cruise at an altitude of 39000 feet and that the flight time was expected to be just over two hours. The Captain also mentioned that, just having arrived from SLC, their flight to DFW had been a smooth one, and he expected the same in the return direction.

As passengers continued to board I noticed that quite a few were “maxed out” with personal/carryon luggage. I supposed it must just be a sign of the times, motivated by baggage fees. Still, I wondered where could all of those bags possibly be going? Surely the overhead bins on a CRJ couldn’t cope with it all, but I guess they managed somehow, as nothing came back forward to be gate checked.

Once boarding was finally completed, the plane was pushed back and engines were started at 12:41, right on time. As we taxied by neighboring terminals, there was plenty of evidence that we were definitely in AA territory.



There is no mistaking who is the biggest player at DFW!


And, in the spirit of needing to “include-a-717-in-a-report”, as seems to be the trend lately:  
 



Another look at some AA birds.




Taxiing over the “Airport Motorway”.




North American 767 hanging out on the ramp at DFW.



After a short taxi we started our takeoff roll at 12:51. Takeoff was quick after a relatively short roll. Once up in the air, we started a slow right turn to get pointed towards SLC.



Just after takeoff from DFW (an airport parking area).


After just a few minutes into the flight an announcement came from the lead flight attendant describing the food and drink offerings on board. The standard snack options (peanuts, pretzels, biscoff cookies, etc.) and soft drinks were complimentary in economy class and wine, beer, etc. were available for purchase. Though nothing was mentioned about the offerings in F, I supposed we would be informed about those soon. The announcement concluded with the information that the single lavatory on board was located at the rear of the aircraft.

As the cabin announcements ended, the flight attendants were released for service. I did not really know what to expect for service in the F cabin on this regional domestic flight of just over two hours. As I would find out soon though, it wasn’t too shabby. A flight attendant came through the F cabin taking drink orders, offering snacks, and also asking if passengers would like to have lunch. The lunch offer came as a bit of a surprise, as I have heard and read about so many cutbacks on US carriers, especially on domestic routes. It was a welcome surprise though, so I ordered a beer and said “yes” to lunch.

While waiting for my drink order to arrive, I noticed that, curiously, the seat back pockets did not contain any inflight magazines of any sort. The safety card information brochure was there, but that was all. I don’t know if it was the same in the Y cabin.



No inflight magazines on this flight.


It was a clear day in the Dallas area, making it a really nice one for flying. I had heard that, after months of very dry and drought like conditions, recent rains had helped to refill most of the area lakes. This could clearly be seen as we proceeded to the northwest.







Some views leaving the DFW area (apologies for the reflections/ haziness).


Gazing out the window as we continued towards the northwest I was reminded of having recently heard, on good authority, that parts of the Texas landscape look a lot like areas of Finland. I read about it in a trip report here, so it must be true!   (Bonus points for anyone who can name the trip report). I have to say though that I couldn’t really see the resemblance. But Texas is a big place (as is Finland) so maybe I just wasn’t flying over the right area at the time.  
 



Cabin view from the rear galley area.






A tiny, but tidy lavatory on this CRJ.


As we made progress towards the northwest on our trek to SLC, lunchtime arrived. The flight attendants distributed lunch trays as the passengers wishing to have lunch extended their tray tables. When unfolding my tray table, I noticed it did not quite reach all the way across. This made it a little flimsy, and not a very solid surface on which to have lunch. No worries though, as at that point the flight attendants made the practical suggestion for passengers to place a pillow underneath their tray tables to create a more steady platform for dining. It really did seem to help – they obviously had served on this aircraft before.



Using a pillow to steady the tray table for lunch service.


On offer for lunch was a pasta salad with chicken. I really was not expecting much of a meal, but have to say that I was quite pleasantly surprised. The salad and chicken were both very flavorful, not bland as I had thought they might be. There was a really nice cilantro/herb flavor that tied the whole dish together nicely. Accompanying the main dish was a package of breadsticks, a small fruit plate, and a chocolate chunk brownie for dessert.



A nice pasta salad with chicken!




Mmm, tasty!


I finished the pasta salad and chicken, breadsticks, and the fruit plate, saving the brownie for later. All in all this was one of the better meals I’ve had on a domestic flight in the US in quite a while.



Just finished with lunch, saving the brownie for later.


The two flight attendants both worked the F cabin during the lunch service. This meant that there was no service at all in the Y cabin until they had finished serving lunch in F (some 15 to 20 minutes). Being seated up front in F, this was fine with me, but I could imagine it might be a little annoying if you were seated in Y.

The service in the F cabin was attentive and efficient throughout the initial part of the flight, and also during lunch. However, there was also a slight detached feeling to the service. There was not anything tangible or specific to criticize, it just felt like it could have been a little more friendly or genuine.

After lunch was a different story as the attendants retreated to the front galley for an extended chat session. During that time they weren’t very attentive to either F or Y passengers. The only way to get their attention was by walking up to the galley and making a request, or using the call button – though that really should not be necessary, especially in F. This cabin crew could have benefited from a refresher course on cabin service.



Overhead controls for ventilation and lighting.


As I was seated in the last row of the F cabin, I could overhear some of the activities in the front of the Y cabin. In particular was a really chatty passenger seated in the first row of Y. During the first half of the flight especially he went on and on, trying to get his seat neighbor to talk about one topic after another. The seat neighbor apparently wasn’t in the mood to have a conversation though as he offered only short replies at first, and then actually dozed off for the second half of the flight (unless he was just feigning drowsiness to avoid conversation).  

As we continued northwest and got closer to SLC some nice mountain landscapes came into view.





Mountain landscape views on the way to SLC.


This flight offered WiFi service, and it worked pretty well. It was nice to have WiFi available, especially on a non-mainline aircraft. It did however seem to cause confusion for at least one passenger. At one point after lunch a person seated up in row 1 had a WiFi related issue and requested help from the flight attendant serving the F cabin. This completely occupied the F cabin flight attendant for several minutes. Then the Y cabin attendant joined in and they both spent several minutes troubleshooting the issue. It’s nice to see them take an interest and try to help the passenger, but it should not have been allowed to preoccupy them both (the entire cabin crew) that way, dragging an already diminished level of cabin service down even further.

Right around two hours into the flight, an announcement came from the flight deck that we had started our descent into the SLC area. We were also informed that a few bumps were to be expected as we descended, especially over the mountains. As we got closer a rather large and salty looking body of water came into view, as to be expected when flying to SLC.  
 







Approaching a large salty looking lake, we must be getting close.


We flew over the airport on the west side and then out over the lake before turning back for a landing at SLC.





About to land at SLC.


We touched down after a flight lasting slightly longer than predicted, but almost exactly on time. Next we taxied directly to our arrival gate which was B13.



Taxiing over to the B gates.




On the way in to the arrival gate.


After getting into the arrival gate area I looked for information about my connecting flight. Eventually I found a FIDS that showed the connecting gate as D10, so I proceeded in that direction. Heading towards the center of the airport from B13, an escalator lead up from the regional carrier section to the area containing the lower numbered B gates. Walking past those gates I then made my way towards the central part of SLC.



The escalator leading up to the main terminal area.






Walking past the lowered number B gates.




Moving on towards the D gates.




Long people movers at SLC to assist passengers switching terminals.


The FIDS was showing my connecting flight as being right on time. So though it was tempting, I decided there just wasn’t quite enough time to go lounging or to stop for anything to eat or drink as I walked by the central concessions area of SLC. It was nice that we had been served lunch on the flight from DFW, so that I wasn’t too hungry anyway.







Continuing on towards the D gates.




Getting closer now.


When I arrived at gate D10, one of the gate attendants was making a pre-boarding announcement. A few minutes later the boarding process started. Just as for my earlier flight, boarding was again being done by zones. Happily I had also been upgraded to F on this segment of my trip to Las Vegas, so I was able to board early. Before doing so though I really wanted to get some pictures of the much anticipated 757. I looked around for a window that might offer a view, but couldn’t find any good vantage points. Eventually I had to settle for a head-on view of N668DN, somewhat obscured by catering and other ground handling vehicles. Though it didn’t offer the best photo opportunity I was happy to see it was a 757.   
 



Our nice looking 757 eagerly waiting to take us to LAS.



SLC to LAS
Flight: DL 1883 (Delta)
Scheduled Departure: 15:10 - Actual Departure: 15:15
Scheduled Arrival: 15:36 - Actual Arrival: 15:29
Seat: 4C (First)


The boarding of this flight, for a change, was a fairly civilized affair. One of the main reasons was that door 2L was used for the boarding process. Boarding through 2L on Delta’s 757s enables economy passengers to turn right at the door to find the way to their seats. Similarly premium cabin passengers can turn left to find their seats. It splits the boarding passenger traffic right at the door, making things faster and easier for everyone. It makes so much sense to board that way that it is surprising it is not done more often.



Walking down towards the waiting 757.


As I entered the aircraft and walked towards my seat I was greeted by a friendly flight attendant. The 2 x 2 layout in the F cabin of the 757 offered some nice wide seats - they probably seemed even wider considering my previous flight from DFW had just been on a CRJ.

On this flight there was a pre-departure drinks service. As I got settled in a flight attendant took my order and quickly returned with a nicely chilled beer.   When a couple seated behind me arrived they asked if coffee was also available and the attendant replied that he would gladly brew some. What nice service! Another advantage of having done boarding through door 2L was that it made it easier for the attendants to move around and deliver beverages.

An announcement by a flight attendant welcomed passengers on board and asked everyone to be seated as soon as possible. Not long after that the cabin door was closed and pushback began. A couple of minutes later the engines were started and we began the short taxi to the runway. Along the way, the safety briefing video staring the notorious Deltalina played on the monitors, followed by a few adverts afterwards.

As we arrived at the runway we initially held short. Then, after a couple of minutes of eager anticipation, we turned onto the runway and the 757 dramatically came to life as the engines spooled up and we started a really powerful takeoff roll and climb out. This is one of my favorite parts of almost any flight, but especially so on a 757. There is just something about all that power on a narrow body aircraft that makes it really enjoyable. At that point it struck me as ironic that of my two flight segments that day, it was the (much) shorter one that was on the 757.   But still, it was much better than not having had a 757 ride at all that day.  

A few minutes later, once released for service, the flight attendants sprung into action. They seemed to have a real determination to complete their service on this relatively short flight, both in F and Y. Compared to the crew from the previous segment they were more eager and energetic. Naturally, the service on this shorter flight was a basic one – just snacks and drinks. But being that close to Vegas, a beer and some Sun Chips worked just fine.  

After just over 30 minutes of flying time an announcement from the flight deck informed passengers that we would soon be starting the descent for LAS. Also, the conditions at LAS were apparently quite windy, so there could be a few rough spots of turbulence as we got closer.

When we began the descent, it was a little bumpy, as promised. The flight attendants were walking through the cabin collecting empty glasses and other service items. Then, suddenly, we hit a really rough spot. As far as I