Allegiant A319 IWA-MFE-IWA
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 4:48 am
This trip was from a little over a year ago, in November of 2019. I did all of my flight training out of Gateway airport, in Phoenix. So I was pretty familiar with it, and was used to seeing a lot of Allegiant airplanes. Allegiant uses the airport, as one of its hubs. A few years ago, I had flown an MD-80 out to Fresno, CA and back. Since then, Allegiant has transitioned to all airbus. I decided I wanted to try out Allegiant again, and this time on their Airbus. After looking at a few different options for daytrips, I settled on McAllen, TX. Each flight was $49, each way. I used the Allegiant app on my phone, so I didn’t have to print out my boarding pass. Otherwise they charge you to print it at the airport. I got to the airport, around an hour before my flight. My flight had been scheduled on an A320. A few hours before, it was downgraded to an A319. It was also the 3rd flight from Mesa/Gateway to McAllen. They had started flying the route, a week prior.
Allegiant 2686
Phoenix/Mesa Gateway, AZ (IWA) – McAllen, TX (MFE)
Airbus A319
N322NV
Seat 24A
Scheduled Departure Time – 1:38pm
Actual Departure Time- 1:50pm
Scheduled Arrival Time – 4:57pm
Actual Arrival Time- 4:43pm
1 hour 53 minutes
As we were waiting to board, the gate agent made an announcement for the flight going to Billings at another gate. They said the flight was under a winter weather advisory. There was a possibility the flight could be delayed, cancelled or could divert, and because of this they would not be able to allow anyone under the age of 18 traveling by themselves to board. This was the first time I had ever heard of something like this
N322NV after arriving from Las Vegas
Boarding started at 1:00pm. By 1:20pm everyone had boarded, and we were ready to go. We sat for 15 minutes, before the door was closed.
24A
Pushed back, next to N279NV. The plane that was supposed to be flying my flight. It had just arrived from Great Falls, Montana
Taxiing to runway 30C
Number 2 for takeoff, behind N253NV going to Oakland
Taking off
Climbing out of IWA
Everything on Allegiant is for sale. Once we leveled off, the flight attendants came through with drinks and snacks that were for purchase.
Cruising at 39,000ft
About 20 minutes before landing, the captain announced the decent. It was an overcast afternoon at MFE
Final runway 14
Touchdown
It was a quick taxi, to the small terminal building. We parked at gate 3, a few minutes after landing.
N322NV at gate 3, before the flight back to IWA
Only a few departures left
About 10 minutes after deplaning, they started making boarding announcements for the flight back.
Allegiant 2687
McAllen, TX (MFE) – Phoenix/Mesa Gateway, AZ (IWA)
Airbus A319
N322NV
Seat 21A
Scheduled Departure Time – 5:42pm
Actual Departure Time- 5:38pm
Scheduled Arrival Time – 7:13pm
Actual Arrival Time- 6:47pm
2 hours 9 minutes
Boarding
Just like on the first flight, everyone boarded quickly. We were ready to depart early. After sitting 10-15 minutes, the door was closed. We pushed back a few minutes later. Once the engines were started, we quickly taxied to runway 14. There were no other planes ahead of us, so we were able to take off right away.
Pushed back
Taking off
Climbing out of MFE
It was sunny once we were on top of the cloud layer
We leveled off at 38,000ft, where we stayed for the entire flight back to IWA. It was a nice sunset as we back towards Phoenix
Cruising
Descending on the SUNSS8 arrival
Final 30L
We touched down hard at 6:47pm, and parked at the gate a few minutes later
N322NV spent the night at IWA, before flying a ferry flight to LAX early the following morning
Since I took this flight Allegiant stopped flying to IWA-MFE. They also have stopped flying to Fresno, the other city I did a day trip on Allegiant on.
Allegiant 2686
Phoenix/Mesa Gateway, AZ (IWA) – McAllen, TX (MFE)
Airbus A319
N322NV
Seat 24A
Scheduled Departure Time – 1:38pm
Actual Departure Time- 1:50pm
Scheduled Arrival Time – 4:57pm
Actual Arrival Time- 4:43pm
1 hour 53 minutes
As we were waiting to board, the gate agent made an announcement for the flight going to Billings at another gate. They said the flight was under a winter weather advisory. There was a possibility the flight could be delayed, cancelled or could divert, and because of this they would not be able to allow anyone under the age of 18 traveling by themselves to board. This was the first time I had ever heard of something like this
N322NV after arriving from Las Vegas
Boarding started at 1:00pm. By 1:20pm everyone had boarded, and we were ready to go. We sat for 15 minutes, before the door was closed.
24A
Pushed back, next to N279NV. The plane that was supposed to be flying my flight. It had just arrived from Great Falls, Montana
Taxiing to runway 30C
Number 2 for takeoff, behind N253NV going to Oakland
Taking off
Climbing out of IWA
Everything on Allegiant is for sale. Once we leveled off, the flight attendants came through with drinks and snacks that were for purchase.
Cruising at 39,000ft
About 20 minutes before landing, the captain announced the decent. It was an overcast afternoon at MFE
Final runway 14
Touchdown
It was a quick taxi, to the small terminal building. We parked at gate 3, a few minutes after landing.
N322NV at gate 3, before the flight back to IWA
Only a few departures left
About 10 minutes after deplaning, they started making boarding announcements for the flight back.
Allegiant 2687
McAllen, TX (MFE) – Phoenix/Mesa Gateway, AZ (IWA)
Airbus A319
N322NV
Seat 21A
Scheduled Departure Time – 5:42pm
Actual Departure Time- 5:38pm
Scheduled Arrival Time – 7:13pm
Actual Arrival Time- 6:47pm
2 hours 9 minutes
Boarding
Just like on the first flight, everyone boarded quickly. We were ready to depart early. After sitting 10-15 minutes, the door was closed. We pushed back a few minutes later. Once the engines were started, we quickly taxied to runway 14. There were no other planes ahead of us, so we were able to take off right away.
Pushed back
Taking off
Climbing out of MFE
It was sunny once we were on top of the cloud layer
We leveled off at 38,000ft, where we stayed for the entire flight back to IWA. It was a nice sunset as we back towards Phoenix
Cruising
Descending on the SUNSS8 arrival
Final 30L
We touched down hard at 6:47pm, and parked at the gate a few minutes later
N322NV spent the night at IWA, before flying a ferry flight to LAX early the following morning
Since I took this flight Allegiant stopped flying to IWA-MFE. They also have stopped flying to Fresno, the other city I did a day trip on Allegiant on.