Doing a one day trip to San Francisco on US Air. After getting a double miles postcard last week I decided I would give US another chance I had stopped flying them almost completely after last year. Now I am considering trying to reach Chairmans Preferred again. So much for logic and discipline. What I will in fact do is go one level at a time and evaluate whether to go higher based on how it seems at the time. Despite the double miles I can't help but feel I should be on AA. Everyone had great sales on transcons today but I decided on US. In any case. to the trip report.
Arrived at LGA for a 5:45 for a 6:50 flight. Decided to try the automated check in and it actually worked. That was a first for me. As my itinerary comes up on screen a GA comes over to make sure it is working okay and notices the LGA-PIT, PIT-SFO, SFO-CLT, CLT-LGA in one day and comments, "my you have a busy day". Too bad I'm not going to have time for lunch or dinner at Zuni Cafe while I am in San Francisco. Always one of my favorites. But I didn't want to take the redeye back.
It takes all of about 5 minutes to check in and get through security. Go to the US Air Club and use my, shiny new, red Red Carpet Club card to get in The place is practically empty. Only a handful of people are there. Go to the gate at about 6:20 for the 6:50 departure of US01 and no employees are at the gate. Clear it is a very light load. We start boarding about 5 to 10 minutes later. About 45 people on the Airbus 321. I'm in first with 2 other people. towards the end of boarding a JetBlue flight officer gets on and they add him to first.
While boarding is progressing I'm offered a preflight beverage. I ask for coffee which is still brewing. I get it a couple minutes in a paper cup. A very hot paper cup. Doors close a few minutes early but not before some entertainment is provided by a passenger dashing through the aisle with what appeared to be a garbage bag full of stuff and running of the plane. Wrong flight as it were. The joys of holiday travel. I can't be too critical, I actually did that myself a few years ago. Well, minus the garbage bag and the panic, but it was the wrong flight.
Doors close a few minutes early and we are off. Get on the runway right away and take off about 2 minutes after scheduled departure time. Get the US Air first class snack basket and some Bloody Mary mix. Get to PIT about 10 minutes early. very short wait for a tow to the gate.
All the clubs are closed except for the main core club. Didn't find this out until I walked to the main core to a store and back to the B club near my gate. The signs in the concourse saying which clubs were open neglected to mention that the B club was closed for the holiday. Upon arriving at the main club I found the up escalator out of order. To me this is good news since my trainer cancelled tomorrow. This is not necessarily a view shared by all their guests, however.
The person at the door of the club was very nice and helpful. checked on my flight without me asking and asked me if I was familiar with the club. The latter probably since I entered with an RCC card.
Got to the gate for Flight 73 to SFO about 30 minutes before flight time. Typical crowd of people in the concourse aisle making t hard for people to get to the gate. I board after the people needing extra time and there were a lot of them, mostly people with kids. The FA brings a bottle of water for everyone in first. Its a full or almost completely full flight. Another Airbus 321. Looks like one seat open in first. Door closes a few minutes early and we are off the gate on time. Take off after virtually no wait (typical of PIT as oppsed to PHL).
About 20 to 30 minutes into the flight one of the first class FAs cme through and said hello to all of the passengers by name and introduced himself and told us the name of the other FA in first. Very professional and friendly. At the same time he took beverage orders and asked us our choice for breakfast. He also noticed I had a 1:00 return to CLT and said I was going to have a long day. The pilot announced we would be in about 20 minutes early. Since I was scheduled for a 90 minute turn-around that was good news.
We had a choice of pancakes or an omelot. Took the latter. The breakfast was pretty good. No complaints about the food. However, getting coffee ina styrofoam cup in first class on a midcon/transcon was a bit shocking. I have to admit I didn't notice at first since they typically serve preflight coffee in styrofoam. But once in the air? I have been flying UA and AA mostly this year. That wouldn't happen in first on ORD-LGA, much less a transcon. So while the food was good the overall was a bit marred by the little things. The serving of fruit with the meal was especially nice.
Arrived at SFO 10 minutes ahead of schedule. In hearing people talking as we were getting off, about 6 other people in first were all heading back that day. The rest were having dinner in San Francisco and taking redeyes back later tonight.
I went to the US Air Club which I though I had read was closing but ws still open fortunately. Got to the gate for flight 58 to Charlotte about 25 minutes before the flight. Boarding was well underway. This fight was pretty light. Lots open in first. I had a row to myself which was nice. Off the gate right on time and no wait to take off.
Got underway and got a demonstration of the dirty planes that people complain about. The tray at my seat was pretty dirty. Both the the fully open surface and the back side when folded. Some kind of sticky material. The food was a pastrami sandwhich or a salad with chicken. All served at once, again a big difference from what you get on UA or AA even on a shorter flight. Didn't see much of the FAs for most of the flight. And for the vodka report, it was Finlandia with a green lime in the Bloody Mary.
Arrived at CLT a few minutes early. Terminal was pretty empty. Went to the C/D Club. As always really great people there. Checked on my flight without me even asking again. Club was pretty empty as well. Went to the gate for flight 554 about 30 minutes before flight time. Very light load again Airbus 319. There were only two of us in first. Great FAs. There fireworks around the area so they checked with the pilot to see which side would have the best view so we could watch on the climb out. They brought us preflight drinks. After takeoff when they came around for beverage service I asked for a coffee. The FA asked if I wouldn't like a Baileys with that which was a great idea. They really did a great job checking back with us to see if we needed anything. I think they may have checked more times on this CLT-LGA flight than on SFO-CLT. And the tray on this was spotless. Had a cleaning solution sort of odor in fact as if it had very recently been very throughly cleaned. Great flight overall. Arrived at LGA almost 20 minutes early.
Despite some complaints about some details this was a prety good trip. Importantly, operations were all efficient. A pretty good mileage run with a lot of EQMs in a short time and for a good price.
