US Airways: CLT-EWR-CLT 16 Apr-20 Apr 2012 by Bruce

Thanks to my compadre in travel, Bruce, for reviving my blog!

Mon., 16 Apr 2012
US1972 dep CLT 15:10 arr EWR 17:06 (737-400)

Fri., 20 Apr 2012
US1291 dep EWR 13:15 arr CLT 15:09 (737-400)

It’s been five months since I was last on a plane, so I got to the airport extra early to soak up the atmosphere. As is normal at Charlotte, the shuttles from the long term lot bunch up – nothing for ten minutes and then three in a row. I was finally at the terminal at 12:00 where I easily printed a replacement boarding pass at one of the US kiosks. This flight will be credited to Mileage Plus and my Star Gold status meant that it printed with Zone 1.

Security was a breeze with no queue at the B terminal where I used the priority lane even though there was no one waiting in the regular lane. There are still none of the advanced screening devices there, so I emptied my stuff into bins, removed my shoes and belt and pulled my laptop. I did not set off the magnetometer and did not earn any additional screening. The TSOs were friendly.

A 20-minute shoe shine ($5 plus $2 tip) and then I spent two hours in the C/D Club. Free soft drinks and the snacks were good – fruit and a big bowl of pretzels. I liked the individual packs of Milano cookies and grabbed a handful for later.

At the gate (the last one in the C terminal), they were offering $250 vouchers for volunteers. I was tempted, but the next flight wasn’t until 9 PM. Boarding was called right on time with F and then by zone. The gate fleas were not too bad.

Seat 5A in Y is the second row in coach. There was plenty of room in the overhead when I got there but the seat was far from Choice. No premium economy and a tight pitch. A married couple exchanged with a guy across the aisle so that they could have B and C. I did not see any empty seats in the aircraft.

We pushed back on time, were first for takeoff on 36L and there was a beverage service (half can, no lime) that was picked up a half hour later. Decent into Newark was from the north and the landing was good. We were at the gate a few minutes later, which was 14 minutes ahead of schedule. I was out at the taxi stand a few minutes later.

For the return, more of the same. The ID check for the concourse was well backed up, even for priority passengers. That took ten minutes and they pulled a few people forward who were headed to Miami. There was a whole body scanner being used for one of the security lanes, but I bypassed that and went further in where there was not one of those. I did not set off the magnetometer and was not selected for additional screening. Security took about 20 minutes from start to finish.

The concourse where US has its gates is served by an Admirals Club, so I had a sandwich at Phillips Seafood and then waited with the rest of the cattle. Boarding was again F first, then Zone 1. The usual obliviots with Zone 2 and higher were standing in the flow.

Otherwise, the flight was the same. It could well have been the same aircraft as the outbound with the same tight pitch and lack of power or IFE. Smooth flight, half can, and we landed 15 minutes early on runway 23.

Summary: I’m glad I decided to keep my UA status and not return to US. The lack of premium economy, power, and IFE would make this a very uncomfortable flight for anything more than a short trip. There’s no way I could do a transcon in that seat. When we talk about a bus in the sky, this is it. The rest of my flights to Newark on this engagement will be on United metal. Grade: C.

Total Trip Cost: $ 406.10
Actual Airfare: $ 359.07
Actual Miles Flown: 1057
Yield: $ 0.340 per mile
Taxes & Fees: $ 47.03, 11.58% of ticket price

TRI-CLT-SFO roundtrip on US Airways 11-14 July 2011

This was a 50,000-mile first class award ticket redemption booked on continental.com. It was very easy to research and book and I was able to find the US Airways record locator by entering my flight number and passenger name at usairways.com. I was automatically assigned seats according to my preference (aisle).

The day I was scheduled to depart, I went to check in for my TRI-CLT flight and usairways.com wouldn’t let me. Then I checked my BlackBerry and my first flight had been canceled, according to the Tripit Pro alert I received. Since I am affiliated with a travel agency, I called the US Airways travel agent center to be rebooked. Luckily there was another flight option I could take so that I could make my original connection to SFO. However, I was never notified directly by US Airways that my flight was canceled.

The rebooked first flight was rather uneventful, except that it was blazing hot on the Dash 8-100 prop plane. The flight attendant said that US Airways almost canceled that flight due to the heat. It was in the 90s on the East Coast and she indicated that maintenance would be waiting on the plane upon its arrival in CLT. To help compensate for the heat, she offered us an unscheduled beverage service.

Upon arriving in CLT, I spent my time waiting in the club until I received a Tripit Pro alert, not a US Airways alert, that my flight was delayed until 6:40 pm. Around 6:10 pm, I headed to the gate and when I arrived, the gate agent announced that there was a weather/ATC delay into SFO and that he had not received any updates from operations except that the flight’s wheels-up time was estimated to be 8:45 pm. However, he advised customers to stay in the gate area. 6:40 pm came and went with no further updates, so I returned to the club and hoped that I could rely on my Tripit Pro alerts to keep me informed. When I reached the club, I overheard another passenger on my flight asking the club agent the CLT-SFO flight status and the club agent promised to contact the gate and monitor the flight. After that, there was no further information about the flight provided. The flight even dropped off the departure board, as operations neglected to keep the ETD current.  Finally at 7:45 pm, the club agent announced that customers should go to the gate for an 8:00 pm boarding time. The flight did board around that time and we pushed back and headed toward the runway. However, just short of the runway, the pilot announced that the plane was overheating and we had to return to the gate. We spent another hour at the gate while the plane was repaired and finally took off around 9:40 pm, three and a half hours late. In-flight service in first class consisted of two dinner choices and beverage service. There was no pre-departure beverage, no hot towel service, no snack basket, no in-flight entertainment, and the Gogo Inflight Internet was inoperable. It was a long five hours to SFO. We arrived three hours late. My bags arrived after about a 45-minute wait.

My return was scheduled for 7:25 am July 14. This was the one, near perfect flight of the trip. I was able to check in quickly and pass through the security checkpoint by way of a first class/elite line. I was not chosen for the full body scanner, but instead the metal detector, because apparently there was a problem with the scanner and the agent called for someone to “recalibrate it.” We boarded on time: specials, first class, then by zone. There was no pre-departure beverage service or snack basket service, as catering did not provide snacks. However, the Gogo Inflight Internet worked, the in-flight beverage service was plentiful, there was hot towel service prior to the meal, and there was a choice of two breakfast entrées. We arrived early, but were given an arrival gate change at the last minute, so we arrived at the new gate a few minutes late.

I hurried from gate B13 to E29 for my connection.  Around our scheduled departure time, 4:12 pm, the gate agent announced a delay until 4:40 pm due to a late-arriving crew. Finally the crew arrived, we boarded, and we took off close to our delayed departure time.  There was no in-flight service, but the flight attendant did have time to sit and chat with one of the passengers.

Upon arrival in TRI, my two bags, tagged Star Alliance Priority, arrived as scheduled.

Grade = C-

*Only one of four flights was not canceled or delayed; customer service and communication regarding the canceled and delayed flights were poor; there was simply nothing to do on the CLT-SFO flight with no in-flight entertainment and inoperable Gogo Inflight Internet. The saving grace was the one on-time flight.

Thanksgiving Travel on US Airways

Wed., Nov. 24, 2010:
US 2370 departing TRI at 1:00 PM arriving CLT at 2:02 PM CRJ Seat 4D aisle
US 1490 departing CLT at 4:11 PM arriving LGA at 6:00 PM A321 Seat 22D exit aisle (Thanks, Tad!)

Sat., Nov. 27, 2010:
US 2181 departing LGA at 4:00 PM arriving DCA at 5:16 PM E190 Seat 12C exit aisle (Snagged when I checked in Saturday)
US 3109 departing DCA at 6:30 PM arriving CLT at 7:56 PM E175 Seat 7D aisle (There are no exit rows on the E175)
US 2559 departing CLT at 10:35 PM arriving TRI at 11:31 PM CRJ Seat 4D aisle (But I moved to 3C to have a row to myself)

My trip report is very brief. All flights operated on time and arrived either early or on time, except for my LGA arrival, which was only about 15 minutes late, as the flight boarded very slowly due to many pre-boards (imagine that on Thanksgiving Eve)! All flights were full or nearly full except for the CLT-TRI late last night. The service in coach was very basic on all flights:  complimentary beverages, alcohol for sale (except the Shuttle flight, where beer and wine are complimentary), and snacks for sale, except for the legs in and out of TRI, which are beverages by request only. There is no IFE, as you know. The CLT-LGA flight had Gogo Inflight Internet for purchase, which I used. The flight attendants were efficient and professional, but not friendly. The friendliest was one on the A321, the one who sat in the jump seat facing my row. I did not receive beverage service CLT-LGA due to some turbulence and the pilots asked the flight attendants to discontinue service. I checked a bag both ways and it arrived as scheduled. First class on the shuttle was offered for $50, but I declined, as I knew beer and wine were free anyway, it’s a short flight, and I knew I was going to sit in the exit row.

I visited the LGA, CLT, and DCA clubs with my Continental Presidential Plus MasterCard/Presidents Club membership. I appreciate the quiet and free Wi Fi, but I don’t like that only certain beers and wines are free and others are for sale. The freebies included Beringer Merlot, Beringer Chardonnay, Bud, and Bud Light in the LGA club.

Grade = B+, good service, but nothing above and beyond and no in-flight amenities except Gogo Inflight Internet on one flight.

When Beth Effect strikes

Friends jokingly call my air travel challenges the “Beth Effect,” and when I have one of those, it’s usually a doozy.  This past weekend would definitely qualify.

Friday, June 25:
I was scheduled to fly TRI-CLT-LGA on US Airways to attend the Travel Blog Exchange conference. How ironic! The ticket was a Continental mileage award redemption.  The TRI-CLT flight was uneventful. However, the next flight was the beginning of the Beth Effect. We boarded, pushed back, and started to taxi, when the pilot noticed a problem with the hydraulic system readings. We returned to the gate and spent the next two hours on board while maintenance tried to fix the problem by replacing a computer and cleaning sensor contacts. Around 8:15 pm, we were told to deplane and see an agent, as their efforts had not been successful.  Many passengers formed a line to see the gate agent, while I proceeded to a nearly empty Special Services counter, where the agent rerouted both me and my bag to a 10:09 pm departure to JFK.  The flight to JFK was fine, but upon arrival, no bag. The JFK baggage agent checked and of course, my bag was never pulled and rerouted, but sitting at LGA, most likely having remained on the LGA flight which ended up flying after all.  She filed a claim and requested delivery to my hotel in Manhattan.

Saturday, June 26:
Although my bag was sitting at LaGuardia since the evening before, it did not arrive my hotel until almost 6:00 pm.  Because I had a conference to attend, my boyfriend in Westchester County had to drive to Manhattan to bring me clothes and toiletries so I could make the afternoon sessions.

Sunday, June 27:
I tried to do online check-in for my return flights and received an error message that my reservation was “out of sync” and I needed to call US Airways Web Support.  I did, and after being on hold for about 15 minutes, the agent came back and said I needed to see an agent at LGA on Monday.  Frustrated, I contacted a supervisor friend at US Airways who was able to fix the check-in problem.

Monday, June 28:
I arrived the airport very early, so I went to the US Airways Club.  The club agent saw how late my departure was and that thunderstorms were approaching, so she tried to change my itinerary to an earlier one.  No matter what she tried, the system would not let her change anything but my LGA-BWI leg.  After doing so and calling the US Airways Help Desk, a boarding pass would not print and she kept receiving an “invalid flight” error message. She sent me to the gate and the gate agents received the same message, so they sent me to Special Services.  The agent there called US Airways Help Desk again and I was finally able to obtain a boarding pass.

The new flight to BWI was delayed to a late inbound aircraft, but we quickly boarded by 2:30 pm.   However, due to storms in the BWI area, we were subjected to a two-hour ground stop aboard our US Airways Express Dash 8 with no air conditioning.  The flight attendant did serve drinks and brought a small bag of ice to a passenger who was evidently overheated.  Once we took off, it was another hour with little to no air conditioning.  Needless to say, I was suffering from heat exhaustion when I deplaned.  I went to the restroom and accidentally left my BlackBerry there in a cosmetic bag and when I rushed back to retrieve it, someone had already taken it.

The next flight to CLT was also delayed to a late inbound aircraft.  However, we did board quickly and departed around 8:30 pm, about 35 minutes late, and arrived CLT at 9:45 pm.  My last flight to TRI was on time and uneventful.

In retrospect, there is obviously something wrong with the baggage system and issues with certain types of tickets.  It’s unacceptable that my bag was not pulled from the LGA flight and put on the JFK flight, when there was nearly a two-hour time block to do so.  It’s also unacceptable that gate/club/special services agents have to call a help desk to complete simple transactions and that agents are not empowered by the system to proactively move customers to their final destination in the most expeditious manner.

LGA-CLT on US Airways 26 May 2010

US 1509 LGA-CLT 8:15-10:13 am Seat 22D Exit Aisle A321 secured at midnight Tempe time. (The exit rows were wide open!)

Pre-departure: Showed one lady how to use a kiosk and watched a couple try to get yogurt and water through the security checkpoint. Busted!

US Airways Clubs in LGA and CLT: Best perk of my CO Presidential Plus MasterCard so far, being able to use US clubs while flying US and the ATL CO club in D. Both clubs were nice, quiet, relaxing and the agents were friendly at both locations.

Boarding: First Class, specials, then by zone.

Departure and Arrival: Pushed back four minutes early and arrived 15 minutes early, but there was some ground traffic in CLT, the new ATL.

In-flight Service: Full beverage and snacks for sale and Gogo Inflight. The FA nearest me was very friendly. DCA-based crew.

Credit Card Spiel: One of the hardest and best! The 25,000 mile free flight + 500 mile bonus is only good for today, so please fill out your applications on this flight and return them to the crew! Don’t let this offer pass you by!

Seatmate: Roxy Perry (and her hubby) – New York Blues Queen Bio here: http://www.roxyperry.com/gigs/biography.htm. MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/roxyperrynybq. Headed to: May 29 2010 8:00P THE JOKER’S WILD FREEPORT BAHAMAS, BS

CLT-LGA on US Airways Express operated by Mesa 21 May 2010

US 2936 CLT-LGA 6:10-7:53 am Seat 16C Exit Aisle
Actual departure: 6:07 am, Actual arrival: 7:53 am ON TIME

I stayed overnight at a cheap park and fly hotel last night and a friend of mine and his wife picked me up for dinner, which was super nice of them!

I got up at 3:00 am, midnight in Tempe, to check in and maybe get an exit row seat and they were ALL empty, so I snagged 16C aisle, so that was a great relief.

I went downstairs to get my 5:00 am shuttle (the earliest one), and the desk clerk had to go wake up the driver when he didn’t show up by like 5:05 am!  We departed the hotel at 5:10 am and arrived at CLT at 5:15 am, so I was a little nervous getting there that late.  But I was able to get my boarding pass quickly at a kiosk and pass through the C security elite line, both in seven minutes.  In fact, there were no elites in front of me, so I went straight to the front.

I stopped at the D/E Starbucks and said hello to my friend’s son who works there.  I got a regular coffee and a banana nut muffin and I have to say, worst Starbucks coffee ever.  It was way too strong and it should have been freshly made, since it was around 5:30 am.

Anyway, I got my workout in hiking to gate E28.  I hurried to the bathroom near E25, which was closed for cleaning, so I had to backtrack to the bathroom at the beginning of that hallway, then walk back to E28!  By that time, boarding began and I was the only elite to approach in zone 1, on a CLT-LGA morning flight.  Weird.  At any rate, the flight was almost full, the exit rows filled up, and I ended up seated next to one of my friend’s former co-workers.  We talked the entire flight about airline and travel topics.

The in-flight service was a full beverage service and snacks for sale.  I had orange juice.

The most interesting part of the flight was the final approach to LGA.  I am not sure why, but ATC had this pilot going all over the place.  It was almost like we made a few S turns and finally ended up making the approach from the south, with Manhattan on the left.  After we landed and were deplaning, my seatmate asked him about it and the pilot laughed and said, “They kept telling me to turn here, go back here, etc.!”

Anyway, I can never give a CRJ-900 flight an A, because my derrière hurt after that, but I will give the flight a B+ otherwise. Kudos to Mesa: it was the best Mesa experience I’ve ever had.