February 2010
72 posts
6 tags
Starting a conversation on a plane
Let’s say you find someone next to you intriguing. Whether it’s good looks or something about them makes you want to talk to them, you have to find a conversation starter.
You can always start off with a simple, “Hi!” I know, you’re probably saying, “Thanks Captain Obvious.” Well you’re welcome Sergeant Sarcasm! :)
Another easy one is asking whether the person is from your departing city or...
January 2010
32 posts
5 tags
Finding the best middle seat
So you’re one of the last people to board the plane – it happens. In fact, on a full flight it happens to quite a few people. And chances are there isn’t an aisle or window seat available. Now you’re stuck with finding the best middle seat. You probably don’t want to sit in the seat between the two guys with broad shoulders. Or next to the couple with two lap children. You’ll probably skip the...
“Silver wings shining in the sunlight, roaring engines headed somewhere in...”
– Haggard Merle, “Silver Wings”
6 tags
Flight 2077
LAS – PHX
I am slightly disappointed to tell you that I got selected to go through security’s magical nekkid machine, but didn’t end up going through it. I don’t know why! Maybe they didn’t want to see what I looked like underneath my clothes. They ended up just randomly screening my laptop instead. So not as exciting.
My plane ride consisted of lots of turbulence. It would be super smooth and...
8 tags
How to get through airport security in a zip!
The dreaded airport security line – it takes too long to get through, and the time you have to get your stuff all together is too short! Here are some of my recommendations:
Before you have your boarding pass screened:
- Have your ID ready to go. This is something easily done ahead of time and will save you a lot of time digging through your bag. It’ll also save other passengers getting...
6 tags
“I wish the world was flat like the old days, then I could travel just by folding...”
– Death Cab for Cutie, “The New Year”
6 tags
Noise canceling headphones
They do just that, cancel noise! Many fliers use them because not only do they block out engine noise but they also block out the crying baby sitting behind you or the noisy travelers sitting beside you.
Unfortunately, because noise-canceling headphones block out noise – they do block out important announcements from the flight crew. Now some flight attendants understand this and are very nice...
Flight 414 1/25
PHX - LAS
Pretty empty flight tonight. I got to the gate 20 min before departure and I received boarding pass A38 – sweet! I’m fighting off a nasty cough so I didn’t sit next to anyone. The landing in Vegas was smoooooth, major props to the captain. While I was waiting for my ride to pick me up I ended up wandering around the parking lot returning carts. I made $0.75! Every penny counts, right?...
“Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane,
Don’t know when I’ll...”
– John Denver, “Leaving on a jet plane”
Playing Favorites
What/where is your favorite airport? What makes it your favorite?
3 tags
“Put me on a plane, fly me to anywhere…”
– Augustana, “Anywhere but here”
6 tags
Flight 713 & 8
LAS – LAX - PHX
Written in the LAX airport:
My flights today were anything but ordinary. To start off security in Las Vegas was insane and took forever (you can read about that in my blog TSA @ LAS Part 2). After that ordeal, I rushed to my gate; and with six minutes to spare I get my boarding pass. As I’m walking down the aisle I figure I should probably ask the nicest look of people to sit...
TSA @ LAS Part 2
Alright, I admit it. I have an issue with TSA. It’s not that I mean to pick on them, but they frustrated the living daylights out of me and I cannot help but point out the stupid decisions they make. Today, after learning my lesson from last week, I decided to go through the new security checkpoint. (Side note: If you aren’t aware of the situation, both the Phoenix and San Diego airport were...
“Quick airspeed lesson. @ 30-40K ft most airliners cruise @ .78 Mach (511 mph)....”
– @SWA_Captain
6 tags
FAA
The FAA app on my iPod is telling me that there’s a ground stop in Phoenix. There is a ground delay in Las Vegas (averaging 3 hours) and San Francisco (averaging 1.5 hours). There are also general departure delays in Baltimore-Washington, Orlando, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Tampa (averaging less than an hour).
Hang in there travelers!
Flight ----
LAS - PHX
Las Vegas to Phoenix was the plan. Las Vegas to Phoenix is not going to happen. The Phoenix airport is closed, and I’m stuck at the LAS airport. It’s all good, if I’m going to be stuck anywhere I’d rather it be here! I guess the rain in Phoenix is worse than the rain in Vegas (and the rain in Vegas is pretty intense). I’d rather play it safe than sorry -...
Headlights
There’s clouds covering the sky in Las Vegas tonight. As I was driving home, I happened to catch a glimpse of light out of the sky. It couldn’t have been the moon - the cloud cover is way too thick. I kept looking, and next thing you know a plane pops out of the clouds! Planes headlights make me happy. I’m not entirely sure what the point of them is for… but they just look...
“Come fly with me, let’s fly, let’s fly away.”
– Frank Sinatra, “Come fly with me”
4 tags
“If your boarding pass has the letter C on it, let me tell you what it stands for...”
3 tags
Flight 414
PHX - LAS
Tonight’s flight was kinda crazy. It started off with me checking my flight an hour and a half before the estimated time of departure from the house and everything was on time (current time 7:10pm). I called my ride and let them know that everything was on time. A half hour later I get a call from Southwest notifying me that my flight is now delayed an hour and fifteen minutes to...
Aw, peanuts!
Lightly salted peanuts, Southwest? Noooooo! Bring back honey roasted!
Fly, fly away!
If you had a week to travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
4 tags
4 tags
TSA @ LAS
Is it just me, or is it slightly ridiculous that the Las Vegas airport keeps the old C Gate entrance very limited to Southwest travelers? Sure sure, I’ve heard the argument, “Oh well they made a new security checkpoint just for Southwest!” I don’t care. The new security checkpoint is nonsense – not only is it located in a horrible spot in the airport, but it’s not convenient for anyone except the...
Flight 2054
LAS - PHX
While most of the flight was routine, the landing was not. As we got close to landing, the engines quickly roared and we began climbing in altitude again. In all the times I have flown, I’ve only had this happen to me twice (both times in Reno). As we began to loop around, the pilot came on the overhead speaker to let us know that a United flight was taking it’s sweet time...
“If you enjoyed the flight, thank you for flying Southwest Airlines. If you...”
– Pilot
4 tags
Catchin' up.
Since the start of 2010 was just a couple weeks ago, I figured I should catch everyone up on my travels since the start of the new year.
1/3: PHX - LAS 1/6: LAS - SJC 1/7: SJC - PHX 1/11: PHX - LAS 1/12: LAS - RNO - LAS And today, I’m off to PHX again!
“225 degrees is Southwest!”
Welcome aboard!
I’m you’re average traveler. Well, maybe not so average… I fly at least twice a week. But I do get frustrated when flights are delayed, happy when I get a low boarding pass letter and number and am very much appreciative of the bags-fly-free policy.
I’m starting this blog because I have stories to tell, people to meet and places to visit. And I’d like to share my...