Greg
02-16-2004, 08:01 PM
JetBlue
N562JB
'The Name is Blue...jetBlue'
'Dots' tail
[photoid=103359]]
My friends father died in January so we had to go down to Florida for a memorial service on 2/14. I booked the tickets on 2/4, 9 days in advance
We arrived at Dulles around 4pm on Friday after driving around the D.C. beltway. We parked in the remote economy lots and took the Shuttle bus into the terminal. the line for the jetBlue ticket counter was very short and we were through it in no time but the security line stretched the entire length of IAD's main terminal. :O It moved quickly though and soon were were close to the front. We were almost to the front when 2 swedes ran through the line yelling 'Late for flight, late for flight'. everyone let them through but we still grumbled at them. They made it to the front of the line but that is where there luck ran out. They ran past the people checking boarding passes and id's and right up to the metal detector. Since there boarding passes and ids had to be checked one of the security guys (non-TSA) asked them to get those checked. They kept yelling 'Late for flight' and he once again asked them to get their ids checked. They tried to push past him and thats when he got mad he told them to get their ids checked or he would have them arrested, the couple did not back down. they continued to try to push past him. They must have been around 5'5'' he must have been 6'9'' and really big. He could have taken them out with one hit. He pushed them physically back to where they had to get there ids checked. The folks around me started laughing and one guy started clapping. We passed through security put were pulled aside for the wanding and pat down. Since we had plenty of time it wasn't a problem and we were soon through and we walked to the mobile lounges. The mobile lounges are perhaps the stupidest concept ever. You wait 5 minutes for a bus that takes you on a 2 minute trip. Sensibly the airport is building a train system to speed up the transfer from the main terminal to the satellite terminals. On the way over I saw a SAS A340 and an AF 777. At IAD the heavies and domestic flights share adjacent gates so the AF heavy was next to an AT 717 and a UE J41. it really dwarfed them. We reached the terminal and we walked over to gate B26 to wait for our flight. At gate B32 ( the adjacent gate to ours ) a Virgin A346 ( G-VMEG, Mystic Maiden) was parked.
http://www.jetphotos.net/user-uploads/gvmeggate.jpg
G-VMEG at the gate
[photoid=202579]
I walked further down the concourse to where a KLM 763 was parked. (PH-BZM, Garibaldi Bridge). It was boarding and I watched as a lady on a Dell laptop served as Customs for the outbound passengers.
http://www.jetphotos.net/user-uploads/phbzmgate.jpg
PH-BZM at the gate. I think the guy standing there adds something to the picture
[photoid=135899]
I then walked over the bridge which connects the B and A terminals. It is quite high as the mobile lounges going out to the C and D terminals have to pass under it.
http://www.jetphotos.net/user-uploads/ctermstar.jpg
View of the Star Alliance C terminal. teh construction in the foreground is the tunnel for the new tram system to connect the terminals
I then heard the final boarding call for an Aeroflot flight So I hurried down to that gate. The plane operating the service was 763 VP-BAX. The light on that side of the terminal was poor but I got some shots so I could remember the reg.
http://www.jetphotos.net/user-uploads/vpbax.jpg
Boeing 767-300 VP-BAX being pushed back at IAD
[photoid=150643]
I then returned to the gate and watched a B6 flight to LGB depart (N582JB, Mystic Blue). I read some and had some Pizza from CPK. Our flight was called around 6:40 and since we had seats 17E and 17F were some of the first people to go out. We grabbed some headphones and walked down the stairs. On B6 they board from the jetway and rear airstairs so we walked across the ramp to the plane. It was awesome as 'Mystic Maiden' was still next to us and it was huge. It gives you some respect for how something that large can fly. We walked up the stairs and entered the cabin. We stowed our suitcases in the overhead bins and took our seats. There was a group of high school girls who were going on a Spring break trip. they were very loud and not very bright. The one in 17D couldn't figure out how to change the channel on the PTV. I turned to the channel with the flight tracker and watched that as we taxied out. We followed 'Mystic Maiden' out to the runway. It taxied onto the runway and power was added, it was awesome watching the lights recede into the darkness and the massive plane become airborne. We shortly taxied onto runway 30 and the captain added throttle. We accelerated smoothly and soon became airborne. We looped around the North side of D.C. and from my seat I could look down and see the Washington Monument illuminated and a string of lights far below inbound fro the runways at DCA. I settled back and watched 'Monster House' the F/A's soon came by with Soda and snacks. I had a Coke (full can without asking, and animal crackers). we flew over the Atlantic so there was nothing to see out the window so the PTV's and leather seats were a blessing. The F/A's were attentive and nice. I'm hopelessly addicted to PTV's now. :D Very shortly it seemed were we beginning our descent into FLL. We circled around the north of the airport and landed from the west on runway 9L. The landing was smooth and after a short taxi we came into gate C6. We gathered our belongings and deplaned down the airstairs at the rear door. We walked into the terminal and then down the concourse to the rental car bus.
F/A's: 10/10, smiled, nice, and attentive
Seat's: 10/10, wide, lots of legroom, and comfy
Aircraft: 10/10, the 320's are clean quiet and roomy
Service: 10/10, drinks are good and snacks were good
Timeliness: 10/10, departed on time, came in early
Overall jetBlue is an awesome airline. I can't seem to think of any problems with them, the experience clearly beat any other legacy or LCC I have flown on previously. I wish them luck and hopefully I'll be on one of their planes again soon.
Next up: FLL-MCO-IAD 2/15 (Comair and Song)
N562JB
'The Name is Blue...jetBlue'
'Dots' tail
[photoid=103359]]
My friends father died in January so we had to go down to Florida for a memorial service on 2/14. I booked the tickets on 2/4, 9 days in advance
We arrived at Dulles around 4pm on Friday after driving around the D.C. beltway. We parked in the remote economy lots and took the Shuttle bus into the terminal. the line for the jetBlue ticket counter was very short and we were through it in no time but the security line stretched the entire length of IAD's main terminal. :O It moved quickly though and soon were were close to the front. We were almost to the front when 2 swedes ran through the line yelling 'Late for flight, late for flight'. everyone let them through but we still grumbled at them. They made it to the front of the line but that is where there luck ran out. They ran past the people checking boarding passes and id's and right up to the metal detector. Since there boarding passes and ids had to be checked one of the security guys (non-TSA) asked them to get those checked. They kept yelling 'Late for flight' and he once again asked them to get their ids checked. They tried to push past him and thats when he got mad he told them to get their ids checked or he would have them arrested, the couple did not back down. they continued to try to push past him. They must have been around 5'5'' he must have been 6'9'' and really big. He could have taken them out with one hit. He pushed them physically back to where they had to get there ids checked. The folks around me started laughing and one guy started clapping. We passed through security put were pulled aside for the wanding and pat down. Since we had plenty of time it wasn't a problem and we were soon through and we walked to the mobile lounges. The mobile lounges are perhaps the stupidest concept ever. You wait 5 minutes for a bus that takes you on a 2 minute trip. Sensibly the airport is building a train system to speed up the transfer from the main terminal to the satellite terminals. On the way over I saw a SAS A340 and an AF 777. At IAD the heavies and domestic flights share adjacent gates so the AF heavy was next to an AT 717 and a UE J41. it really dwarfed them. We reached the terminal and we walked over to gate B26 to wait for our flight. At gate B32 ( the adjacent gate to ours ) a Virgin A346 ( G-VMEG, Mystic Maiden) was parked.
http://www.jetphotos.net/user-uploads/gvmeggate.jpg
G-VMEG at the gate
[photoid=202579]
I walked further down the concourse to where a KLM 763 was parked. (PH-BZM, Garibaldi Bridge). It was boarding and I watched as a lady on a Dell laptop served as Customs for the outbound passengers.
http://www.jetphotos.net/user-uploads/phbzmgate.jpg
PH-BZM at the gate. I think the guy standing there adds something to the picture
[photoid=135899]
I then walked over the bridge which connects the B and A terminals. It is quite high as the mobile lounges going out to the C and D terminals have to pass under it.
http://www.jetphotos.net/user-uploads/ctermstar.jpg
View of the Star Alliance C terminal. teh construction in the foreground is the tunnel for the new tram system to connect the terminals
I then heard the final boarding call for an Aeroflot flight So I hurried down to that gate. The plane operating the service was 763 VP-BAX. The light on that side of the terminal was poor but I got some shots so I could remember the reg.
http://www.jetphotos.net/user-uploads/vpbax.jpg
Boeing 767-300 VP-BAX being pushed back at IAD
[photoid=150643]
I then returned to the gate and watched a B6 flight to LGB depart (N582JB, Mystic Blue). I read some and had some Pizza from CPK. Our flight was called around 6:40 and since we had seats 17E and 17F were some of the first people to go out. We grabbed some headphones and walked down the stairs. On B6 they board from the jetway and rear airstairs so we walked across the ramp to the plane. It was awesome as 'Mystic Maiden' was still next to us and it was huge. It gives you some respect for how something that large can fly. We walked up the stairs and entered the cabin. We stowed our suitcases in the overhead bins and took our seats. There was a group of high school girls who were going on a Spring break trip. they were very loud and not very bright. The one in 17D couldn't figure out how to change the channel on the PTV. I turned to the channel with the flight tracker and watched that as we taxied out. We followed 'Mystic Maiden' out to the runway. It taxied onto the runway and power was added, it was awesome watching the lights recede into the darkness and the massive plane become airborne. We shortly taxied onto runway 30 and the captain added throttle. We accelerated smoothly and soon became airborne. We looped around the North side of D.C. and from my seat I could look down and see the Washington Monument illuminated and a string of lights far below inbound fro the runways at DCA. I settled back and watched 'Monster House' the F/A's soon came by with Soda and snacks. I had a Coke (full can without asking, and animal crackers). we flew over the Atlantic so there was nothing to see out the window so the PTV's and leather seats were a blessing. The F/A's were attentive and nice. I'm hopelessly addicted to PTV's now. :D Very shortly it seemed were we beginning our descent into FLL. We circled around the north of the airport and landed from the west on runway 9L. The landing was smooth and after a short taxi we came into gate C6. We gathered our belongings and deplaned down the airstairs at the rear door. We walked into the terminal and then down the concourse to the rental car bus.
F/A's: 10/10, smiled, nice, and attentive
Seat's: 10/10, wide, lots of legroom, and comfy
Aircraft: 10/10, the 320's are clean quiet and roomy
Service: 10/10, drinks are good and snacks were good
Timeliness: 10/10, departed on time, came in early
Overall jetBlue is an awesome airline. I can't seem to think of any problems with them, the experience clearly beat any other legacy or LCC I have flown on previously. I wish them luck and hopefully I'll be on one of their planes again soon.
Next up: FLL-MCO-IAD 2/15 (Comair and Song)