11/8
DCA-PHX (?)
AAL2006
Depart 650am
Arrive 1017am
A321neo
N434AN
Seat 1F
I got to DCA around 530 for my 7am departure - I didn't feel like dragging my suitcase around all day, so I stopped at the counters quickly to drop my bag off. This was the last day for the old TSA checkpoints at DCA, but there was no line at PreCheck and made it to the Admirals Club within 15 minutes of being dropped off. I could see my plane already waiting for me at gate 38, having arrived from LAX the evening before.
The time in the club passed quickly, spent drinking a few cups of coffee and reading before heading down to the gate a few minutes before boarding was to begin. Once onboard, I quickly settled into my seat and took stock of my surroundings. I was pleased by the width and the legroom was ok but the seat itself was hard as a rock, with minimal cushioning or back support. Also, even with the headrest all the way extended the seat only came to the top of my shoulders so there was nothing to rest my head against.
Legroom - looks better in this pic than it really was.
Pushback was delayed very slightly as maintenance had to come and duct-tape an overhead bin shut. Once pushed back, we made our way down to RWY 1 for takeoff, which gives passengers on the right side of the airplane a great view of Washington DC and the monuments.
737-8 MAX at gate next to us during pushback
This was my first-ever flight on a neo or Max, and I thought the GTF engines had an odd growling sound at lower power settings, but was amazed at how quiet they got as they spooled up for takeoff!
Shortly after takeoff, the cabin crew came around taking drink and meal orders. The choices were rather odd for breakfast - a turkey sandwich or a quinoa salad with turkey on top. I chose the sandwich and another cup of coffee. I also logged into the inflight WiFi to watch a movie on my phone. AA's entertainment options felt a little lackluster so I settled for 'The Shawshank Redemption' to help pass the time. Another drink service was done when our tray tables were cleared away, so I decided on a bloody mary.
With the movie over, I passed the rest of the flight reading and staring out the window.
Random airport in New Mexico
Santa Fe, NM (I think)
As we began our descent into Phoenix, our captain came over the PA and described the weather there as 'Chamber of Commerce Perfect' and said we'd be on the ground in 30-40 minutes, and arriving at the gate a few minutes early. And here's where things went started to go wrong.
Shortly after the first announcement, our captain came back on the PA and this time announced 'the Phoenix airport has lost power, so we have been told to divert. We will be going to Tucson and will have more information once we are at the gate.' Naturally, this announcement set off a buzz of questions in the cabin, with the cabin crew having to plead ignorance to next steps until they were given information from scheduling.
Old airways sign pointing towards Phoenix, taunting us as we were diverting to Tucson
Of note, while we were descending into Tucson, I got up after a flight attendant passed my seat so I could get my phone charger out of my bag. She turned around, looked at me and asked 'oh, are you going
to yell at me too?' I put on my best confused face and said I just wanted to charge my phone. She just responded with an 'oh' and went into the galley.As we descended into Tucson, we started to get some information in bits and pieces - most importantly that we would be parking at a remote spot, getting refueled, and heading up to Phoenix as soon as it reopened, and we landed in Tucson around 1015am.
I forgot how close the terrain came while landing in Tucson
RR 747 testbed at TUS
Once on the ground, we taxiied past the terminal, and pulled up next to the fuel farm, where there were already another pair of AA A321s waiting, along with a pack of retired 737s and A320-family aircraft.
Not long after arriving, the plane next to us had a fuel truck next to it, so very soon thereafter it came over to our jet, and a pair of airstairs were pulled up to the L1 door so the ground agent could talk with the flightcrew and hand off the associated paperwork. This gave the opportunity for a handful of us to stand in the galley and get some fresh air and stretch our legs. While I was standing in the door, one of the flight attendants came over and saw the Bombardier facility across the runway. The ramp was filled with parked CRJs and a handful of ex-Air Canada E190s. She got this horrified look on her face and asked "my god - we're not waiting behind all those planes, are we?"
The majority of passengers around me took the diversion and delay in stride - updates were frequently given to the passengers by the flight crew, even if there was nothing to update, so that went a long way to keeping everyone relaxed. Naturally, there was one jerk demanding immediate compensation and complaining that he couldn't get another gin and tonic while we were on the ground (the cabin crew did make several passes with water during the delay). The AA app also constantly sent updates on the rolling delays to my connecting flight keeping me confident I wouldn't miss my connection once up in Phoenix.
11/8
TUS-PHX
AAL2006
Depart 1202pm
Arrive 1226pm
A321neo
N434AN
Seat 1F
After we'd been on the ground an hour, we were informed that our departure time was now 1145, but dispatch was trying to move it up. Around 1140 the door was closed and engines re-started. Shortly thereafter the first AA plane near us taxiied out to the runway, taking off after holding for several arrivals. Once the first plane had departed, the one next to us surprisingly moved out of the way so we could pass it, and we taxiied out to the runway. After holding for a pair of arrivals, and letting a formation of Arizona Air National Guard F-16s depart, we were finally on our way to Phoenix after 2 hours on the ground in Tucson.
Great view of Davis–Monthan Air Force Base departing TUS
Surprisingly, the cabin crew did a quick service on the trip up to Phoenix, so I got a diet coke and a pack of biscoff cookies to enjoy while watching the scenery go by on the quick flight.
Phoenix-Mesa Airport
Once we had landed in Phoenix, it was a short taxi over to the gate and I disembarked into an unsurprisingly crowded terminal.
Having 90 minutes until my connecting flight I made my way to the uncomfortably overcrowded Admirals Club in the concourse for a glass of wine and to compare diversion and delay stories with the others at the club's bar.
11/8
PHX-SEA
AAL2781
Depart 148pm
Arrive 350pm
737-800
N920NN
Seat 1F
Leaving the club 15 minutes before boarding was scheduled to begin, I walked down to the gate where my plane was waiting, having been diverted to Las Vegas during the power outage.
Boarding began ontime, and I was quickly onboard. The seats were the same new, uncomfortable, ones that the A321neo had, but I found legroom marginally better on the 737-800.
A321neo at next gate; was heading to Hawaii
With boarding complete, we had a long taxi to runway 25R on the opposite side of the airport, taking off with no delay.
After departure, I spent the first part of the flight watching the scenery out the window - including seeing part of what the captain told us was the Grand Canyon.
Phoenix Deer Valley Airport
We were offered a snack on the flight consisting of either a caprese salad or another turkey sandwich. I went with the sandwich again, along with a bourbon to drink. Once the trays were cleared, we were offered another drink, and I had a beer which I sipped while reading for the remainder of the flight.
Approaching Seattle from the south, we overflew the Boeing Renton plant before turning back for Sea-Tac over the north sound region. This afforded us nice views of downtown Seattle while landing. As we turned off the runway, we also got a great view of Mt. Rainier.
Mt. Rainier
Sitting on the right side of the plane also meant I got to see all the activity at the terminals as we made our way to gate D10. It was a short wait for my checked bag, and it was off to the rental car facility to do battle with Avis who had given my car to someone else due to my extended delay.
11/12
SEA-DFW
AAL2762
Depart 1206pm
Arrive 554pm
A321-200
N996AN
Seat 1F
I have never had a good experience flying out of Seattle - there is always horrible traffic, the rental car return takes forever, and even with PreCheck, there are long lines at security. This was not the case on this trip; leaving my hotel a little after 7am for my 1150 flight I managed to make it through security by 8, despite the pouring rain. I walked around the terminal for a little bit, before heading over to the Alaska club in
Terminal D. This was my first time there, and I found the staff to be very friendly but the club itself was cramped. The upstairs area was very crowded with only one or two seats open. I decided to head to the lower level which was emptier, but that was because it was intended to be the work space, consisting mostly of cubicle-like seating with office chairs vs. the sofas and arm chairs in the space upstairs. I passed the time doing a little work and reading some. The food options were not great either, with mostly breakfast breads (muffins, bagels, etc.) on offer.
I was tracking my inbound flight from DFW, and as it approached Seattle, it became apparent that the weather was causing delays as my plane entered a pair of brief holding patterns over eastern Washington. It eventually arrived late around 1130. I made my way down to gate D10 and watched my plane pull into the gate.
The gate area was very crowded, as there was my (full) flight to DFW, another full A321 heading to Phoenix, an American Eagle flight to LAX, and what looked to be a full AS flight to MKE all departing from that end of the terminal within 30 minutes of each other. Despite the late arrival, the ground crew managed to turn our flight quickly, and we wound up leaving only 20 minutes late. I was pleased to see this plane had the older business class seats, complete with PTVs.
Skywest CR7 going to LAX
During boarding, I was looking out the window when I heard a familiar voice saying "get off my plane!" I looked up to see one of my co-workers! He was going on vacation with his family - we did a quick series of introductions, shook hands, and laughing, wished each other a pleasant flight. With the rain still coming down, it was hard to take pictures while taxiing out for departure, but I managed a few before we quickly entered the clouds.
The initial climb-out was bumpy, but the ride smoothed out fairly quickly after takeoff. Unlike my previous flights, the cabin crew started with a pair of drink services, before finally offering a choice of salad or turkey sandwich.
Once the meal trays were cleared, I made my way back and found my co-worker. We had a brief, pleasant, chat before wishing each other safe travels. Returning to my seat, I passed the remainder of the flight reading and watching the moving map on the PTV.
Colorado Springs airport
Arriving into DFW right at sunset, I could make out the city of Dallas as we made our approach from the south, having overflown Ft. Worth Alliance airport while descending into DFW.
Turning off the runway, we quickly taxiied into gate C15, arriving only 5 minutes late. While taxiing in, I could barely make out my connecting flight already waiting over at gate A38.
11/12
DFW-DCA
AAL2752
Depart 717pm
Arrive 1108pm
A320-200
N105UW
Seat 1A
With only 30 minutes before my connecting flight was scheduled to board, I decided to forgo the Admirals Club visit, and just head straight to my next gate. It was not surprising to see the terminals already decked out for Christmas, but still felt very premature to me.
N105UW waiting at the gate
As our scheduled boarding time came and went, the gate agent announced that our crew was delayed, with the flight they were arriving on having only just arrived over on the opposite side of Terminal A. After a 10-15 minute wait, the crew arrived and boarding began several minutes later. This plane still had the very old USAirways interior, but that meant the seats were actually very well padded compared to the other planes I had on this trip. Interestingly, during boarding, the cabin crew apologized for this being an older airplane with smaller overhead bins.
With boarding complete, we pushed back and joined the line out to the runway for departure.
Once airborne, it was the same by-now familiar routine; drink service with the choice of a pastrami sandwich or a salad. I chose the sandwich and had a bourbon to go with it.
I passed the flight watching 'The DaVinci Code' using the streaming service offered by AA. The older equipment was noticeable, as it took 2-3 tries for my phone to properly connect to the inflight internet. This flight passed very quickly, and before long we had begun our descent into DCA. As we passed over Dulles, we turned south to pick up the approach at DCA, and I could see that airport and Washington DC off in the distance.
After landing, we quickly pulled into the gate and it was a quick walk out to the curb where my wife was waiting to pick me up, ending a long (and tiring) week of travel.
Thanks for reading, and comments are always welcome.
