ATrude777
10-24-2008, 10:07 PM
American Airlines
Flight 1471
October 19th, 2008
MD80
N9620D
PHL-ORD
After a great weekend in New Jersey and some of Philly, it was time to head home. I was expecting a very busy time being Sunday night, PHL, and ORD once again in play, perhaps delays who knows. I was dropped off and headed to the check in areas down the area. I swiped my card, and my itinerary pulled up again. I was offered to upgrade to F coming home, however I anticipated a short flight and again didn’t see a reason to pay 90 bucks for a rather short trip which was bearable in coach.
I got my boarding passes and headed to security which took no more than 5 minutes again. I first went to grab McDonalds which took me literally 30 minutes to find, and that was me following directions at the airport. I got my McDonalds to get more Monopoly stickers and got 2 new and 1 old. Blah, oh well! Ha-ha.
I walked back to the gate and sat just as the plane pulled up to the gate. This was a former ex TWA plane. While I love TWA, I cannot stand how AA fitted out the ex TWA planes, they, or most of them don’t have the padded headrest in the coach cabin plane like AA’s original Super 80’s do.
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053557_5846.jpg
I already saw people standing in line at the boarding area long before the plane had arrived. The Priority lane and General boarding was a joke. All type of travelers still stood in the priority access lane. It was quite a cattle call type boarding. Agents had to keep separating the line and making sure people were boarding with the right group...Hmmh, and I thought only SWA had this problem? Nope, all airlines do and have this cattle call boarding. I wish I had a picture of that to prove I am not making up lies. ORD was worse than PHL in terms of boarding. I will get to that when we get to ORD.
I had planned to stand by for the earlier ORD-STL flight leaving at 7:15pm instead of my originally booked 8:40pm so I could get home much earlier. I placed myself on stand by list at PHL as I anticipated a high amount of SB’s. I was right, when I got to ORD I was number 8 out of 23!!!
My group was finally called, Group 3 and I boarded with my food which I had planned to eat once we had taken off. I sat down and made myself comfortable.
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053558_6169.jpg
Boarding was rather fast, and I watched everyone board. Soon it was time to back away and head for the runway to take off. We followed a company Super 80, which followed a UA 757 then a DL 757.
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053559_6496.jpg
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053560_6842.jpg
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053561_7168.jpg
We turned onto the runway and than waited a few seconds before we blasted off the runway. The take off was actually really really cool and it is down here!
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053562_7503.jpg
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uqOFcYKG_C4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uqOFcYKG_C4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
We took off and promptly turned to the left as seen in the video. We had an amazing view of downtown Philly and the bridge and whatnot. A sunset was already starting so I anticipated a fairly beautiful flight coming to ORD and it did not fail me at all.
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053563_7839.jpg
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053564_8186.jpg
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053566_8864.jpg
Anyhow I started chomping on my McDonalds which of course was practically soggy by this point. I didn’t care though I was completely starved. The flight was pretty identically coming back. I was just hoping I could land early to try to catch the 7:15pm and hoping it would be open enough! I put on my ipod to listen to music to pass the time and snapped any pictures I saw interesting.
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053567_9202.jpg
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053568_9561.jpg
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053569_9908.jpg
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053570_255.jpg
Soon we started descending under the clouds and it was such a gorgeous view I had to video tape the descent.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/m14fAHOB37U&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/m14fAHOB37U&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
We descended under the clouds. Flight Attendants came around to collect trash and anything else. I saw Lake Michigan come out from under us as we flew around the Chicago skyline and I saw a series of planes flying behind us. Made for a really cool approach over the lake and the city.
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053571_608.jpg
We turned and set course for the runway at ORD.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/igTdA_hR05M&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/igTdA_hR05M&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
We landed into ORD and taxied for quite awhile before we finally came to our gate.
American Airlines
Flight 347
MD80
N291AA
ORD-STL
October 19th, 2008
As soon as I got off, I RAN and I mean RAN to gate L-4 where the 7:15pm departure was due to leave from. I got to the desk and gave her my Priority Standby Flight coupon and she told me it was not looking good at all. I was eight out of 23 as I mentioned in PHL and it was pretty full. They were missing 2 revenue passengers and it would go to SB 1 and 2. I literally had no chance, but I stuck around in case.
She came over and told me what I didn’t want to hear and that I was not getting on board. Darn it! I thanked her anyway for all she could do and she apologized and I went on my way to H-18 where the confirmed 8:40pm to STL was. Crap, I really didn’t want to sit around ORD for so long but oh well.
I trekked over to H-18 and just sat and worked on the trip report for the next one hour while texting on the phone. Soon plane pulled up and was time for boarding. I got off the floor to see everyone standing in line at the Priority Access lane. Agents were going over kind of guiding people away from the line yelling at them to look at the right boarding pass and all. It truly was a mess.
My group, 3 again was called for boarding. I got on board and sat and waited. This was N291AA, the plane I flew in reverse, STL-ORD back in August when I was doing the MIA Mileage run. How funny.
At this point I was so tired I pretty much kind of dozed away back and forth. We left the gate at 8:45pm, taxied for 15 minutes, than finally took off at 9pm. Good grief, the one time I WANT to be early, we are not. Of course!
We took off and I pretty much crashed. I did wake up to get some apple juice. I had a long 2 hr drive coming home once we had landed. Never, ever do I look forward to that part of the trip.
We landed into STL at exactly 9:50pm, to a rolling stop. No thrust reverser was used, so we used pretty much the whole runway, there was 2K feet of concrete left as we taxied off.
Taxied to gate C-2 and I got off and went to my car for the drive home.
Alex
Flight 1471
October 19th, 2008
MD80
N9620D
PHL-ORD
After a great weekend in New Jersey and some of Philly, it was time to head home. I was expecting a very busy time being Sunday night, PHL, and ORD once again in play, perhaps delays who knows. I was dropped off and headed to the check in areas down the area. I swiped my card, and my itinerary pulled up again. I was offered to upgrade to F coming home, however I anticipated a short flight and again didn’t see a reason to pay 90 bucks for a rather short trip which was bearable in coach.
I got my boarding passes and headed to security which took no more than 5 minutes again. I first went to grab McDonalds which took me literally 30 minutes to find, and that was me following directions at the airport. I got my McDonalds to get more Monopoly stickers and got 2 new and 1 old. Blah, oh well! Ha-ha.
I walked back to the gate and sat just as the plane pulled up to the gate. This was a former ex TWA plane. While I love TWA, I cannot stand how AA fitted out the ex TWA planes, they, or most of them don’t have the padded headrest in the coach cabin plane like AA’s original Super 80’s do.
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053557_5846.jpg
I already saw people standing in line at the boarding area long before the plane had arrived. The Priority lane and General boarding was a joke. All type of travelers still stood in the priority access lane. It was quite a cattle call type boarding. Agents had to keep separating the line and making sure people were boarding with the right group...Hmmh, and I thought only SWA had this problem? Nope, all airlines do and have this cattle call boarding. I wish I had a picture of that to prove I am not making up lies. ORD was worse than PHL in terms of boarding. I will get to that when we get to ORD.
I had planned to stand by for the earlier ORD-STL flight leaving at 7:15pm instead of my originally booked 8:40pm so I could get home much earlier. I placed myself on stand by list at PHL as I anticipated a high amount of SB’s. I was right, when I got to ORD I was number 8 out of 23!!!
My group was finally called, Group 3 and I boarded with my food which I had planned to eat once we had taken off. I sat down and made myself comfortable.
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053558_6169.jpg
Boarding was rather fast, and I watched everyone board. Soon it was time to back away and head for the runway to take off. We followed a company Super 80, which followed a UA 757 then a DL 757.
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053559_6496.jpg
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053560_6842.jpg
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053561_7168.jpg
We turned onto the runway and than waited a few seconds before we blasted off the runway. The take off was actually really really cool and it is down here!
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053562_7503.jpg
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uqOFcYKG_C4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uqOFcYKG_C4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
We took off and promptly turned to the left as seen in the video. We had an amazing view of downtown Philly and the bridge and whatnot. A sunset was already starting so I anticipated a fairly beautiful flight coming to ORD and it did not fail me at all.
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053563_7839.jpg
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053564_8186.jpg
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053566_8864.jpg
Anyhow I started chomping on my McDonalds which of course was practically soggy by this point. I didn’t care though I was completely starved. The flight was pretty identically coming back. I was just hoping I could land early to try to catch the 7:15pm and hoping it would be open enough! I put on my ipod to listen to music to pass the time and snapped any pictures I saw interesting.
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053567_9202.jpg
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053568_9561.jpg
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053569_9908.jpg
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053570_255.jpg
Soon we started descending under the clouds and it was such a gorgeous view I had to video tape the descent.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/m14fAHOB37U&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/m14fAHOB37U&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
We descended under the clouds. Flight Attendants came around to collect trash and anything else. I saw Lake Michigan come out from under us as we flew around the Chicago skyline and I saw a series of planes flying behind us. Made for a really cool approach over the lake and the city.
http://photos-042.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v347/244/87/1137330042/n1137330042_30053571_608.jpg
We turned and set course for the runway at ORD.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/igTdA_hR05M&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/igTdA_hR05M&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
We landed into ORD and taxied for quite awhile before we finally came to our gate.
American Airlines
Flight 347
MD80
N291AA
ORD-STL
October 19th, 2008
As soon as I got off, I RAN and I mean RAN to gate L-4 where the 7:15pm departure was due to leave from. I got to the desk and gave her my Priority Standby Flight coupon and she told me it was not looking good at all. I was eight out of 23 as I mentioned in PHL and it was pretty full. They were missing 2 revenue passengers and it would go to SB 1 and 2. I literally had no chance, but I stuck around in case.
She came over and told me what I didn’t want to hear and that I was not getting on board. Darn it! I thanked her anyway for all she could do and she apologized and I went on my way to H-18 where the confirmed 8:40pm to STL was. Crap, I really didn’t want to sit around ORD for so long but oh well.
I trekked over to H-18 and just sat and worked on the trip report for the next one hour while texting on the phone. Soon plane pulled up and was time for boarding. I got off the floor to see everyone standing in line at the Priority Access lane. Agents were going over kind of guiding people away from the line yelling at them to look at the right boarding pass and all. It truly was a mess.
My group, 3 again was called for boarding. I got on board and sat and waited. This was N291AA, the plane I flew in reverse, STL-ORD back in August when I was doing the MIA Mileage run. How funny.
At this point I was so tired I pretty much kind of dozed away back and forth. We left the gate at 8:45pm, taxied for 15 minutes, than finally took off at 9pm. Good grief, the one time I WANT to be early, we are not. Of course!
We took off and I pretty much crashed. I did wake up to get some apple juice. I had a long 2 hr drive coming home once we had landed. Never, ever do I look forward to that part of the trip.
We landed into STL at exactly 9:50pm, to a rolling stop. No thrust reverser was used, so we used pretty much the whole runway, there was 2K feet of concrete left as we taxied off.
Taxied to gate C-2 and I got off and went to my car for the drive home.
Alex