Cabo San Lucas (SJD) the long way around

[kevrosmith]

Re: Tue 15 Apr UA882 NRT-ORD 1655/1430

Only flown in and out of ORD a couple times (due back there in 2 weeks though!), and I find it interesting to see all the water towers poking up above the houses every so often... I guess when the land is so flat, there's only one way to create gravity-fed water... You can see them poking out in your photo of the golf course above.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Tue 15 Apr arrival at Chicago O'Hare Airport



The queue of aircraft waiting to depart.



United, Hong Kong Air & American aircraft parked at the terminal.



Cathay, United & American plus an unidentified aircraft in Star Alliance livery.



A Lufthansa 747-800 D-ABYF with its swept wing and scalloped engine cowl a la 787 Dreamliner. LH were the launch customer for the 747-8.



Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A330-300 rego LN-RKN sporting Star Alliance livery. Our arrival gate M16 is located in concourse M in terminal 5. There are a total of 21 gates M1 to M21 in the onee concourse (M) in Terminal 5.

The official website for Chicago O'Hare Airport is below:

Chicago O'Hare International Airport

If anyone in the Chicago area Sun 05 October interested in a fun run there is a '5K Run on the Runway' event with proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Project. Link below:

Special Events Management - O'Hare 5K on the Runway

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Tue 15 Apr arrival at Chicago O'Hare Airport

After hearing fellow AFFer Storyteller's horror story of a 4 hour customs clearance in ORD I wasn't sure what to expect on arrival I only hoped we had sufficient time to make our connecting flight to Boston at 1827. Any extra time for a visit to the United Club would be a bonus.

For those who haven't been to the USA before the arrival process is normally a 3 step process - firstly lining up to be processed by CBP which includes having your photo taken & fingerprints recorded after which you grab your checked luggage off the baggage carousel before lining up again to hand in your blue arrival card that you are given on the inbound flight.

It took us about 5 minutes to walk from the arrival gate M16 down the escalators to the customs area. We noticed a sign that said 'One Stop Clearance' which I'd never heard of before. We asked the official at the entrance of the queue what it was all about & they explained we were eligible to use it if we had carry on luggage only which we did. This service is only available for Terminal 5 arrivals.

There were only a couple of people in the queue ahead of us and before we knew it we were in front of Officer Ryszta who took our photos, fingerprinted us then collected the blue customs form and it was exit stage right - down a corridor that bypassed the baggage carousel area entirely so were landside just 10 minutes after stepping off the aircraft. No grief for both of us being on the one form when we have different surnames and gasp, aren't married. Must be just a LAX thing.

O'Hare 1-Stop



Looking at the departure screens our connecting flight to Boston was departing from T1 so we took the airport transit system (ATS) skyrail linking all the terminals for the short hop from T5 to T1.

There are 4 terminals at O'Hare Airport 1,2,3 & 5. There is no terminal 4 is explained below.

“Terminal 4 became a temporary location for the international terminal in 1984,” says Gregg Cunningham, spokesman for the Chicago Department of Aviation. “When a new international terminal opened in 1993, officials decided to change the number to 5 to avoid any confusion.” The old Terminal 4, located in the ground level of O’Hare’s parking garage, now serves as the airport’s bus-shuttle depot. The number isn’t retired, though; eventually, Cunningham says, a new building will be christened Terminal 4.

View from the skyrail. It was a chilly 0 degrees Celsius (32 deg F) on arrival not that we had to set foot outside the terminal.



The Hilton O'Hare Airport.



On arrival at Terminal 1 we went up the First Class checkin which is on the far right past all the Premier Access Counters to enquire about catching an earlier flight to Boston. Instead of looking at the computer in front of them the CSA told us to check on the computer screen ourselves which is adjacent to each checkin counter and if we were able to change then it would allow us.

I was a bit surprised by this because having flown in First on AA I've always found the AA staff at the Premium checkin counters extremely helpful. I went through the exercise knowing full well the computer would say no because it was an award ticket however some airlines don't go by what fare bucket you're originally booked (I class) in but the cabin you're ticketed for ie F and are happy to move you.

There were 3 CSA's at the adjacent F counter all deeply engrossed in a conversation clearly ignorant of what the "C" & "S" stands for in CSA. Realising this was a fruitless exercise we decided to get to the lounge and check the Expert Flyer app first before approaching the Lounge Angels and maybe having better luck there.



We headed through to the TSA Pre-Check/Premier Access screening point which was a breeze as you don't have to remove shoes or take laptops or liquids out of your carry on luggage. I got through to the other side and noticed that SO wasn't behind me anymore and for some reason was in the general queue so doesn't emerge for another 15 minutes.

What I didn't find out until afterwards that his boarding pass didn't have the all important 'TSA Pre-Check' stamped on it as it's a random thing apparently, so while he was eligible to use the 'Premier Access' lane some security person decided to close it "because nobody was using it". Another passenger was going off at TSA for closing it but as always with airport security you have to adopt the approach 'the referee is always right' or your life will suddenly become rather difficult.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Tue 15 Apr arrival at Chicago O'Hare Airport



Once through the TSA Screening Point we set out to find the closest United Club to our departure gate. There are three United Club Lounges in Terminal 1 - two in Concourse B near gates B6 and B18 and one in Concourse C near gate C16, the latter being the closest one for us as our departure gate is C19.

For passengers with a Terminal 2 departure the United Club is located in Concourse F opposite gate F4.

Chicago O'Hare Int'l (ORD) Airport Map | United Airlines



As we walked through Concourse B we passed the Customer Service Desk which had quite a queue. Apparently the day before was not a good day to fly as there were quite a few storms on East Coast so I imagine a lot of the people there may have had weather related delays and/or mis-connections they needed to sort out.



The departure boards give you an idea of the sheer volume of flights departing ORD and for those wondering why no boarding calls are made in airport lounges this would probably be a major reason.



To access Concourse C you need to make your way down the escalators in Concourse B and take the travelator underneath the tarmac to the other side. It's a bit like making your way from T3 to T2 at Sydney Domestic when you go past the railway station at the domestic terminal en-route.



The psychedelic neon lights above the travelator linking Concourse B & C reminds be a bit of EVA Air's Infinity Lounge in Taipei.

I'd have to say that I was impressed with O'Hare Airport's One Stop Clearance so I wouldn't hesitate to choose Chicago as my first port of entry to the USA if I was flying in from Asia, Europe, Latin America or the Caribbean particularly if I was connecting to another domestic city that wasn't a major international gateway city.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Tue 15 Apr United Club Chicago - Terminal 1 Concourse C



Once we got to Concourse C we found our way quite easily to the United Club near gate C16 which is close by the arrivals lounge and also the Global First Lounge.



The Lounge has excellent viewing opportunites for aircraft parked on nearby bays as well as those taxiing past. Not so excellent opportunities for food which is par for the course at a lot of airline lounges in the US however we had eaten breakfast shortly prior to landing so weren't hungry just yet.

Note that you can't bring outside food into the lounge so if you're hungry you'll need to venture outside, eat your food then come back in.



There is a quiet room separated by glass panels if you need to escape the loud conversations that often take place in airport lounges.



A 744 under tow taxies by.



Although great views, the lounge doesn't have a self serve bar for alcohol or soft drinks so no such thing as a 'free' drink assuming you tip $1.00 per drink which we do.

I know a lot of Australians hate tipping in the US because they don't agree with the policy however we're also paid substantially more than those in the US working in the airline and hospitality industries. Some people feel they're subsidising the employer, however not paying a tip isn't suddenly going to make the employer pay staff more money so the only person losing out is the employee.

IMHO if we (meaning fellow Australians) can afford a holiday in the US then we can afford to pay a few one dollars tips here and there without breaking the bank. For a lot of the staff waiting on you and earning the meagre minimum wage in the US we'd call poverty line at home, a much wished for holiday to Australia is often beyond their means as a lot of staff are contractors so not eligible for staff travel. Just sayin'. :-|

 

[yohy?!]

Re: Tue 15 Apr United Club Chicago - Terminal 1 Concourse C

great TR, OBB - I noticed that red and yellow tail at ORD is likely a Hainan Bird not HK Airlines, HKA are struggling to do any kind of long haul with their metal

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Re: Tue 15 Apr United Club Chicago - Terminal 1 Concourse C

great TR, OBB - I noticed that red and yellow tail at ORD is likely a Hainan Bird not HK Airlines, HKA are struggling to do any kind of long haul with their metal

Oops Crikey thanks for that. I'd better update my TPE post too.

Edit: Can't edit either post as I think you may have to do it within 24 hours.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Tue 15 Apr Chicago O'Hare Airport - Terminal 1 Concourse C

While we were in the lounge I used the free lounge Wi-Fi to check availability for an earlier ORD-BOS flight on the Expert Flyer app and sure enough there were two seats in the F bucket which of course didn't show up when the checkin staff told me to use the kiosk - no surprises there.

The 'earlier' flight however was now actually scheduled to depart later than the one we were already on so I didn't proceed any further. What I didn't know at the time was that our flight would also be pushed back due to ATC delays however you don't find out until closer to departure what time it's been bumped back to as it depends when ATC advise the airline what the new departure time will be. As the delay was due to East Coast weather I was quite happy just to let things be. Sometimes the more you try and change things the more your plans fall in a heap.



Not quite trusting departure screens in lounges I ventured out to the departure gate which was close to the lounge just to see if the times on the board at gate C19 matched what was in the lounge which thankfully it did. On the way back I bough a piece of lemon pound cake from Starbucks to have later on (ie the intent was not to consume within the lounge) but the eagle eyed lounge dragon spotted the paper bag sticking out of my handbag so the pound cake had to been quarantined (impounded ) at the front desk until we departed.

We were getting a bit bored with the lounge by now and as we were starting to get hungry we packed up laptop & our phones we had on charge headed off to the Jazz Food Court just opposite to get a bite to eat not forgetting to grab our Starbucks paperbag from reception on the way out. In hindsight I think lounges to let you bring coffees in but not other drinks or food.



A view out the food court window of the sunset and the silhouette of one of the many de-icing cherry pickers at ORD.



Chairs and tables in the Jazz Food Court. O'Hare Airport has a very modern if not futuristic look and feel to it and feels open and airy with shops and restaurants reflecting the history and character of this Mid-Western city.



The Gate Gourmet catering truck has finished loading the 772 as it gets ready to depart. As we were travelling HLO I only had a handbag plus a smallish rollaboard I'd bought at Brookstone at DFW Airport the year before. SO was travelling even lighter and only had a Samsonite backpack as he had ordered a Pelican 1510 Case for his work tools that was being delivered to our Boston accommodation and was like a kid in a candy shop with the prospect of soon getting to see it face to face. It was about $100.00 cheaper to buy it in the US compared to back in Australia.

I don't mind travelling HLO however when you need to have winter stuff for Japan & Calgary which was out next stop after Boston, plus summer stuff for Cabo it's a bit of a challenge. Once you get a couple of J amenity kits suddenly you're struggling to find room in your hand luggage for your newly acquired booty. As I couldn't utilise any space in SO's carry on (yet) I think it's fair to say that even I was looking forward to getting the Pelican case!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Tue 15 Apr UA1481 ORD-BOS 2005/2314



After the leaving the food court SO bought a couple of Chicago T-shirt that were 2 for $20.00 which seemed a very reasonable price as he didn't have a lot of clothes with him and we made our way down to gate C19 in preparation for boarding.

Our original departure time was 1827 and after a couple of time adjustments already it seems that 2005 is the latest published departure time which will see us arrive in Boston at 2314.



A random shot from earlier of a UA aircraft with Concourse B in the background. As you can see terminal 1 is very UA dominated.



I haven't noticed this before at other airports but on this flight UA displayed the seat map of the aircraft so you can see where the spare seats are in the cabin. The blue seats are economy plus so they'd charge for those ones however when it's a full flight they will put people in these seats who have just paid the regular economy fare.

I noted that on our NRT-ORD flight they did a PA before pushback offering pax the opportunity to upgrade from Economy to Economy Plus for USD179.00. Not sure if there were any takers or not. One good thing about having seats with extra legroom that are not in the emergency exit rows is that it gives people who are not able bodied or suitable to sit in the exit or tall people travelling with young children the ability to stretch out as kids aren't allowed to sit in the emergency exit rows.



View from our Gate C19. The tarmac seems very cluttered will all sorts of GSE (ground service equipment) scattered around the plane.



A lot of airlines will publish both a standby list and an upgrade list for a flight so those passengers can monitor the onload process in the case of being on standby or see whether their upgrade request is likely to come through or not.

I don't know whether these upgrades are gratis due to 1K status, using upgrade certificates or points but one thing's for sure there is not shortage of people wanting them. US carriers seem to give upgrades away like candy as you never see a flight go out with spare seats in the J or F cabins.

The capacity of the F cabin is 16 seats with 14 people already booked and checked in however 7 of those pax are upgrade request pax already on the cleared list. As SO & myself were travelling on an AV LM award that means only 5 people were already confirmed in the F cabin however I can't believe that all those 5 pax would've paid for a full F ticket.

It would be fascinating to know out of those 5 pax booked in F from the get go, how many had actually booked a commercial F ticket and how many booked an award ticket in F at the time of booking or booked a ticket in whY but did a points upgrade type scenario at the time of booking.

What is nuts is that there are still 13 people on the upgrade waitlist vying for the last 2 seats in F. It's easy to work out that the next two to go up will be ADH/P & LUB/R. It's a shame the screen doesn't display their current seat number as you'd then know which two seats were to become available in whY once their upgrade clears.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Tue 15 Apr UA1481 ORD-BOS 2005/2314

Still enjoying the trip (report). Although travelling domestic in the US/Canada can be a PITA, it is fascinating to watch the dynamics at the departure gate. I fly a lot of Air Canada and often you have to get to the gate early to be sure of boarding early to snag an overhead locker on the little E190s they often use (especially in J where half of them are cut down locker size)..

Very often you will hear suited exec types chatting, waiting for their upgrades to come through. if they have high status, because AC like UA always upgrade to fill the J cabin, they know they will be upgraded. Engenders 'loyalty', but not much revenue I suspect.

Sorry to wander OT.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Tue 15 Apr UA1481 ORD-BOS 2005/2314



After our 6 hour stopover in Chicago we are finally on our way to Boston.





Flying out of Chicago at night you realise how huge the city is when it's all lit up.





It was a full moon which lit up Lake Michigan as we flew over it on our way East.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Re: Tue 15 Apr UA1481 ORD-BOS 2005/2314

Still enjoying the trip (report). Although travelling domestic in the US/Canada can be a PITA, it is fascinating to watch the dynamics at the departure gate. I fly a lot of Air Canada and often you have to get to the gate early to be sure of boarding early to snag an overhead locker on the little E190s they often use (especially in J where half of them are cut down locker size)..

Very often you will hear suited exec types chatting, waiting for their upgrades to come through. if they have high status, because AC like UA always upgrade to fill the J cabin, they know they will be upgraded. Engenders 'loyalty', but not much revenue I suspect.

Sorry to wander OT.

Don't worry you're not off topic. I always enjoy checking out the boarding process and how each airline manages the boarding process along with people watching.

One thing I thought was weird is that airlines in the USA allow you to take hot coffee onboard an aircraft. For a country has has so much litigation I would've thought it wouldn't be allowed for fear of pax suing the airline if they accidentally spilled it on themselves.

I note now that QF will allow you to take coffee onboard a flight as long as it has a lid on it. Not sure whether it's for domestic flights only or international ones too.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Tue 15 Apr UA1481 ORD-BOS 2005/2314



I think the 'Premier Access INTL' lets the lounge know that you're entitled to lounge access as it's not a wholly domestic journey. Even if it was a domestic trip we still had our TK Star Alliance Gold membership as backup that would give us entry to UA lounges if we hadn't connected from an international flight.



Our in-flight meal which was soup, break roll and some kind of burrito.



It's raining when we arrive at Boston's Logan Airport.



The UA cabin crew exiting the plane after our arrival into gate A8. It would be safe to assume that the CSM hadn't eaten a happy meal for dinner & I got the feeling that she really didn't want to be there. It seems that getting a good cabin crew is a lucky dip as the F/A's on the UA flight NRT-ORD were terrific.



A Massport Logan Airport transit bus which operate a free shuttle bus between airport terminals and car rental depots plus the MBTS Blue Line railway station.

We waited for our Holiday Inn shuttle bus in a glassed in booth on the median strip which kept out the rain and the wind.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Re: Tue 15 Apr UA1481 ORD-BOS 2005/2314

We'd called the Holiday Inn Express Saugus when we arrived to arrange the shuttle bus pickup and probably had to wait 20 to 30 minutes as despite being classed as an airport hotel Saugus is 17 kms (11 miles) away from Logan Airport so it took a little while for the driver to get there. We wouldn't have wanted to arrive in Boston any later as the shuttle stops at midnight and having to get a taxi there would probably negate any savings on the cost of the room.

As we near the hotel SO quietly chuckles to himself and I noticed we'd just gone past the local Hooters at Saugus. I don't know when he thought he'd be going there as in 12 hours time we'd be airborne again to our next city.



Despite the feeling that we'd been travelling for ages this was only the second night we'd had in a hotel as Saturday was an overnight to BNE/TPE, Sunday night was at the ANA New Chitose, Monday night in transit at AB Won Pat Airport in Guam, Tuesday overnight flight NRT/ORD but due to crossing the international date line we arrived Tuesday night in Boston.

It was only an overnight pit-stop as we were flying on AA Boston via Dallas up to Calgary the next day early afternoon. At the time we booked the AV LM award the previous August we'd planned on driving around the New England area for a few days but even though our plans changed we left the UA ticket as is and just booked a ticket ex Boston to Calgary.



The hotel rooms were clean and comfortable and besides the free shuttle (tip extra naturally) the rate includes an 'express start breakfast' plus standard internet access is free for all guests not just Gold or Platinum IHG Club members.

Of course the most important thing on arrival was for SO to finally take delivery of his Pelican 1510 Case so his eyes lit up when the guy who checked us in at reception went out into the back office and returned with a big cardboard box. We booked our shuttle bus for 1100 the next day back to the airport for our 1320 flight to DFW which would get us to Logan Airport about 2 hours prior to departure as getting there any later would be cutting it too fine IMHO.



Now if we'd been organised we would have put all our devices on charge, set our wake up alarms before going to sleep however we didn't then woke up at 1000 the next morning wondering where the hell we were then breathing a sigh of relief that we hadn't missed our shuttle bus or even worse our flight. We had missed our free breakfast - damn.



The breakfast bar where the hotel serves its express start breakfast which includes their signature cinnamon rolls, bacon, cereals and eggs.



We departed the hotel on time at 1100 and on the way back I noticed there was a Sheraton Four Points property closer to the airport but well located surrounded by plenty of stores and restaurants so would be an ideal location either for an overnight stay or longer particularly if you had a car as it's an easy commute to downtown Boston.

There were 4 sorority type girls in our shuttle bus so after dropping them off first at Delta our stop was next at AA where we made a bee line for the Priority AAccess checkin counters.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Wed 16 Apr Boston Logan Airport



The AA B737-800 was parked on a bay in front of the AA Admirals Club.



Boston is a hub for the carrier JetBlue who operate a fleet of A320 aircraft. This aircraft was pushing back in preparation for departure.



This A320 N569JB is painted in JetBlue's 10th anniversary livery and is named "Blues Brothers". You can view more of the different tail designs below.

JetBlue | Our planes



Although New England centric Cape Air serves 44 cities throughout the Northeast, Midwest, Eastern Montana, the USVI, BVI, West Indies, British West Indies, Puerto Rico and Micronesia. The Micronesia flights to Guam, Saipan & Rota is in association with United Express.

Their inaugural flight was back on 16 October 1989 from Provincetown to Boston and has grown from three flights a day between those cities to over 500 flights per day. Their fleet comprises 75 Cessna 402s, 3 Britten-Norman Islanders and 2 ATRs.



The view you get after you clear the TSA security check point at Logan Airport. In our case we turned left then right to make our way to the Admiral's Club and turned right on exiting the lounge and made our way down to gate B32.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Wed 16 Apr Admirals Club - Boston Logan Airport



The bar area is on the left as you walk into the lounge.



Plenty of desk space near the window so you can work while charging your device at the same time.



Although a small lounge it was far from crowded when we were there.



Seating area in the back corner of the lounge.



AA aircraft de-icing machines seen from the lounge with the runway in the distance.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Wed 16 Apr Boston Logan Airport - Chris Williams Sculpture

This stunning Seascape sculpture by local artist Chris Williams is along the wall just outside the Admirals Club at Logan Airport Boston and the attention to detail is just phenomenal.



School of fish



Jellyfish



Octopus



Piranha



Chris Williams Sculpture specializes in amazing animal sculptures!

 

[smit0847]

Re: Tue 15 Apr United Club Chicago - Terminal 1 Concourse C

IMHO if we (meaning fellow Australians) can afford a holiday in the US then we can afford to pay a few one dollars tips here and there without breaking the bank. For a lot of the staff waiting on you and earning the meagre minimum wage in the US we'd call poverty line at home, a much wished for holiday to Australia is often beyond their means as a lot of staff are contractors so not eligible for staff travel. Just sayin'. :-|

One thing I have never understood about the tipping culture in the US when it comes to bartenders is if they're getting $1 tip per drink they make, say they make a drink every five minutes (which doesn't seem like a lot), they're receiving $20 an hour in cash-in-hand, untaxed tips on top of the average $9 an hour minimum wage they are receiving from their employer - Bartenders

USD29 an hour (so well over AUD30) for an unskilled, minimum wage job (making/pouring/opening a drink every five minutes is hardly flat-out), is excessive IMO considering how much lower the cost of living in the US is.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Wed 16 Apr AA2251 BOS-DFW 1320/1640

We left the lounge in plenty of time just after 1230 to give us time to order a Starbucks coffee to take with us onboard plus be at the gate in time for boarding which generally starts about T-45 but at a lot of airports in can be earlier still.

Fresh from our 6 hour transit at O'Hare Airport yesterday, SO was wearing one of his brand new Chicago t-shirts which prompted the Starbucks girl to ask "so have you lived in Chicago all your life"? I'm sure once she heard his Aussie accent she would've been able to work that one out for herself but I don't think she expected him to be from Brisbane.

It seems that Americans are more likely to wear t-shirts from where they're from rather than Aussies who wear t-shirts as a souvenir of where they've been.



Boarding area at gate B32. We turned right as we exited the Admirals Club and and despite the gate being at the end of the concourse it was only a short walk.



Our Boeing 737-800 aircraft at the gate.



The boarding gate is divided into two lanes with the 'Priority' lane on the left and 'Main' lane to the right. The sign itself isn't huge and it's not really what makes the boarding experience more successful than that of other airlines - it's the announcements and the fact that it's enforced vigorously.

Of course it makes it easier for gate agents when boarding passes are clearly marked 'boarding group 1' so if you try to sneak past with a group 5 you'll be sent back and told in no uncertain terms to wait until your group is called.



Group 1 boarding is generally for First Class pax, AA Executive Platinum (which includes OWE pax) and US Military in uniform. This was the view looking aft from our seats in 16A&C that we pre-allocated at the time of booking. I had used www.skyscanner.net to check out the airfares then booked direct on www.aa.com.

The AA 737-800 has 16 seats in First Class and the four rows are number 3 to 6. Economy or main cabin as they call is has 23 rows numbered from rows 8 to 30 totalling 138 seats.



As there are only 3 flight attendants on the AA 738's and 154 seats in total they permanently block off seats 16B&E & 17B&E in order to comply with the FAA policy of one FA per 50 passengers so no more than 150 seats are sold on the flight.

Rows 16AC DF and 17AC DF are ideal for longer flights as it's like having a guaranteed shadow in the middle. There is a tray table between the armrests which are fixed is handy to put drinks on if you have a laptop on your own tray table.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Wed 16 Apr AA2251 BOS-DFW 1320/1640

Sitting in our seats at T-20 I suddenly realised I was without my jacket & realising I didn't have it in the lounge, I must've left in at the TSA screening point. I told the F/A and she said to run back and get it so I hightailed it up the jetway telling the gate staff on the way out who advised that the gate would close 10 minutes prior to departure. No stress.

After running down the concourse and turning left I could see the TSA screening point in sight and even better could see my jacket still sitting in one of the tubs. I grabbed it before doing a U-turn and running back to the gate, arriving there as the gate agent was printing off the paperwork so I wouldn't have wanted to get there a minute later. I had now become one of *those* passengers.



We pushed back from the gate on time and it was only a short taxi to the runway.



I always get a laugh seeing the piano keys as it reminds me of the imaginary profession SO had in a former life. Prior to an overseas deployment if he was out and about and people asked what he did for a living he'd tell them he paints the white stripes on runways. Apparently they worked in pairs so while one paints the other one keeps watch for any approaching aircraft.



We're airborne and passengers seated on the left hand side of the aircraft get a good view of the city of Boston.



Both our flights BOS/DFW & DFW/YYC were about 4 hours each so we'd taken the opportunity to pre-allocate our seats at the same time we did the booking. A lot of people don't realise this can be done ahead of time sometimes for no extra cost as leaving it until you checkin at the airport can result in getting seats all over the plane.



Having nobody sitting in the middle seat makes for a much more comfortable flight as you don't have to climb over a stranger to get out nor do they have to climb over you. Most flights within the US I've been on don't appear to have many spare seats unsold but you can always gauge how full it's going to be if they display the standby list on the screen at the gate.