Introduction
Seattle to San Francisco
Aloft San Francisco Airport
San Francisco to Atlanta
Atlanta to Newark
Fairfield Inn & Suites Newark
Newark to Minneapolis
Minneapolis to San Francisco
San Francisco to Seattle
Conclusion

After disembarking quite a bit earlier than expected in MSP and knowing that I was headed to the G gates for my onward connection I headed towards the SkyClub in the F gates for a quick refresh and laptop recharge.  Just as I took a photo of the concourse (more than what I did last time I was at MSP) and started walking there, the battery in my camera died.  Thankfully I have 2 spares at any time (although this was #2 that I had just drained for the weekend).  But with plenty of time ahead of me still on the go today, I would be ok.

I headed over to the SkyClub, was checked in without a hassle at all (other than my phone screen lock happening just as I moved to scan the boarding pass) and confirmed this was the smartest place to be, as I knew there was a Club at C17 but wasn’t sure if it was easier to access G17 from that gate area.  They confirmed the smartest way was to stay put but give myself 10 minutes to walk on down to my gate.

The lounge was fairly busy for a Sunday morning but its MSP, on a morning.  The international flights have probably all touched down from Asia/Europe and all the pax are heading to their onward connections.  Ah the joys of a hub city!  The usual breakfast items were out including oatmeal and maybe it is just me but the MSP oatmeal does not fail.  It is never watery, never to thick either and at one point when i walked past I SWEAR I saw the lid bubble up and down.  I don’t know what dark magic they do in there but they are good at it.

I gave the laptop a bit of a charge and cleared out some emails prior to packing up and heading off towards the gate.  I didn’t get all that long in the club but it flew past.  Without needing to use my brain all that much I just headed out towards the gate, all the way down to the far end of the G concourse.  I picked up the pace to work off some of the snackage that had been consumed that day.

I walked past one of the new outlets that had been done up with Delta’s new concept with Ipads at every seat in the restaurant and it looked good.  I grabbed a couple of quick pictures as I was pretty impressed and I know a friend in New York had been given the full low down on the concept and he seemed pretty impressed by it as well.  Delta might be onto a winner there.  The G gates look to be under a bit of refurbishment and they must be slowly reworking the airport away from the Old Northwest days where MSP was the main Northwest hub along with Detroit.

I arrived to my gate after a quick photo of the aircraft to a teeming mass of people.  There was people everywhere.  Just crammed into every little nook and cranny.  Quite suprisingly really.  By this stage there was only a matter of minutes till boarding and they gave the pre boarding warning a few minutes later.

Delta Airlines – DL2105
Minneapolis St Paul to San Francisco
1135-1349
Boeing 757-200 (N615DL)
First Class – Seat 2D

Boarding: 1057 (Gate G17)
Push Back: 1133
Take off Roll: 1150 (Runway 17)
Top of Descent: 1325
Touch Down: 1349 (Runway 28L)
Shut Down: 1354 (Gate 42)

Pre boards had been called but no one moved forward.  All it did was cause an almost surge towards the front with so many people crammed into one tiny little space.  I don’t think this was a mass case of Gate Lice but more the fact that space at this gate was majorly at a premium and people were sitting on the floor everywhere or just trying to find places to fit their bodies.  When they called first class every man and his dog (yes there was another dog at the gate) seemend to move forward but with 24 seats up front today it was sure going to be full.

I arrived onboard about mid pack and even though they had only called First Class pax, one or two fromu up the back managed to sneak on.  I had to wait a bit at the door due to the line as people stored their bags etc but the thing that I love about the 757 is that they pretty much utilize door 2L, which means First Class gets the good old left turn.  Left turn into the oasis of calm.

The crew were pretty good to, helping get people settled in offering PDB once peope had set down.  A lovely, older generation, were the onboard crew today with lots of “Can I get something for you Sweetie” etc.  I think the term is “Matronly?”  They definately weren the United Granny Crews that exist but they were a little bit older.

The flight boarded  as I got myself settled into my seat with my diet coke PDB.  I probably should of gone coffee in hindsight as I was heading towards a 5 hour stop at the  end of the day, but I was already past cup #10 I think by that point (I had lost count).  I ordered my diet coke with lemon and when I heard someone elese get lime without a problem I was very dissapointed in myself for not asking for lime instead.

The boarding process was long and slow, as you would expect with this size aircraft.  I could see the lump on the rear of the aircraft so that meant GoGo enabed and also full Seat back tvs.  This was a good thing as I was determined watch Top Gun once in the air.  As the doors shut and we slowly headed off to the runway the Captain came on the horn and damn did he have the thickest Texas accent I have ever heard.

We taxiied to the active runway all the way own the far end of the runway at the 17/34 junction watching as lots of other aircraft were landing around us.  The captain came on and advised us we were #1 for take off and should be ready to go shortly.  One moemnt your in the queue behind a Delta A320, the next your airborne with a high rate of clim as the 757 went nose high and rocketed out, just as they usually do.

As we were already heading south we turned right slightly after passing over the “Mall of America” below (which is funnily enough right next to the airport and apparently one of the largest shopping malls in the world (probably behind Dubai Mall.  Once we got up through 10,000 people were firing up all sorts of electronic devices and getting settled into their seat.

Lunch orders were taken back to front so my seat mate and I were served last meaning rather than the choice of Chicken & Goats Cheese pizza or the beef salad, my choices were Salad or… Salad.  It was my choice anyway so didn’t worry me in the least at all. I wound my clock back and started looking through the movies.  Now either they scaled back the amount of movies since yesterday or the 757 has an extremely cut down selection.  Damn!  I wanted Top Gun which was not one of the choices, so I shoved on some music from their selection (actually a fairly good electronic/dance selection) and just read my book as the service commenced.

Hot towels & placemats were handed out and then followed the ordered drinks.  My diet coke was even left with the Can!!! What a difference.  The lunch was handed out soon after and it seemed they were trying to feed rush everyone.  I was happy to take my time and requested some peanuts to go with my diet coke and “Beef Salad”.  The salad was more of a cold cut plate and actually pretty good.  I haven’t had potato salad in a while and this one was pretty tasty actually.

I slowly consumed my lunch (and the brownie was good and I took my time enjoying that) while reading several chapters on my book.  Once lunch was cleared away I was offered another drink and switched over to club soda while I watched a movie on the laptop and did some work as we cruised over the rockies by this stage (love the inflight map at times).  After the movie I started doing a bit of work and my eyes were having trouble staying open so I asked for a coffee to try and help.  I had a feeling I would be pounding a bit of that in a while.

The snack basket came out around the time we passed over Utah and had about an hour left in the air.  The Delta snack basket is pretty good.  Bananas were the big hit, along with the biscoffs in my holdover stash and grabbed a funsize snickers and twix for a bit of a sugar smash to keep me awake, which by this stage was making it difficult.  I was at 12 hours awake at this stage with another 8 or 9 before I would even make it back to Seattle, let alone home and into bed!

I was slowly starting to plan my afternoon as I knew I probaby wouldn’t have anyway of avoiding the 5 hour layover so just sucked it up and planned a number of things including writing a few letters, looking for a new GPS watch as my current one was finally giving it up and contemplating if i should try and take a nap.  More coffee won out.

Some coffee, a couple of Biscoff (did i mention how awesome they are?) and i was set.  As we slowly flew towards California we passed over the Tonopah Test range.  This is the place where all the aircraft were tested in the 80s and probably still tested today.  Top secret stuff happened down there and sadly it was covered in cloud.  Out of the corner of my eye at one point i saw a flash as quick as it appeared it was gone.  A United 737 passed us by nice and close but to fast for me to get a photo.  Damn.

Just before we started final descent the captain came on again turning on the seat belt sign for turbulence.  Even though it kinda went on and off during the flight they were pretty good at only having it on as long as needed.  Which is refreshing as some just keep it on for hours.  It was off maybe 5 or 10 minutes and then 20 minutes out right on time, we started final descent.  We headed on down towards the ground coming in from the South East over San Jose and Palo Alto (I think i saw the Apple HQ, not sure) and as we came over the bay area we were lining up for a dual approach (but sadly no one to race in).

As we were touching down on 28L right next to us a was a United 747 starting its take off roll.  Still in Tulip livery to.  Then I saw another Tulip livery, and another.  Still suprised to see them floating around.  By now we were on the ground, reverse thrusters deployed and coming to a stop just off one of the high speed exits.  My weekend of flying Delta was coming to an end.  I didn’t want it to end, but I was getting dead tired.  I didn’t really want to do anything but sleeep!  But i still had a 5 hour layover and a change of terminals to get through before my next flight, then 2 more hours to Seattle, then a solid hour before I would be getting home at least.  God Damn!

We pulled up at our gate pretty quick but then we sat there as the Ground crew couldn’t figure out how to get the jetway attached.  Two different attempts as we waited while they tried Door 2L.  Nope.  So they tried again at 1L.  Success.  Right next to my row almost.  Pretty soon I was walking off the aircraft and as I passed a Delta Red Coat (one of their supervisors/troubleshooters) I asked if there was an airside connection to the United Gates in T1.  Sadly no.  That meant no matter what I was clearing security again so my little ploy to get through the day on just one TSA screening was a fail.  It gave me an excuse to walk a bit all the way down to T3 rather than use the Air Train.

I wandered through T2 for a bit of a sticky beak before finally making it to the United Check in desks at T3.  Where i promptly enquiered about getting home earlier to which I was told.  “Sorry, your stuck here.”  Damn.

Introduction
Seattle to San Francisco
Aloft San Francisco Airport
San Francisco to Atlanta
Atlanta to Newark
Fairfield Inn & Suites Newark
Newark to Minneapolis
Minneapolis to San Francisco
San Francisco to Seattle
Conclusion

Sunday 3rd March 2013

After being dropped off directly in front of the Delta check in Desks I was suprised that the B terminal was absolutely deserted at this hour.  Delta check in was a sea of emptiness which made things so much easier for me.  I was served straight away and the check in agent double taked when she saw my Velocity card.  I would assume that being Newark they rarely if ever get VA elites out here.  LAX and SFO and other west coast would get them more often, the bigger airports like MSP, DTW, JFK & ATL would definately get them.  I figured I was going to finally have to whip out the benefits list I had been carrying, just in case.  But I didn’t need to.  My boarding passes were printed quickly (again, no real card stock here) and off I went.

I trundled up to the security area and before going through into TSA land I made sure that I had packed my jacket and everything else back into my bag.  Now that I was indoors I didn’t need the scarf, jacket and gloves.  So that all came off, got packed away and I consolidated my laptop and liquids to the same area to make things easier on the other people in line with me later.

I walked up to the TSA and there was 2 lanes, no markings at all to either one and I have no idea if I was even walking up to the right queue at all, but they never said anything nor was it marked.  Next thing I know I am standing at a checkpoint with not a single other person in line with me, but less than 5m away was a line with 10 or so people being funneled to the 1 TSA agent and 1 nudeoscope.  Wierd.  After about the 3rd person to get checked by the TSA I was summoned so i approached, scanned my boarding pass (they had to turn the machine on first so I assume I was first person this morning with a mobile boarding pass, then promptly watched as my phone glided out of my hand and bounced off the floor.  Thanks Tmobile for suggesting the case I have on my phone as it never damages, the phone bounces and I am all good.

I handed over my license, picked up my phone and then my license was handed back to me.  Maybe I should do that more often because it was the most pain free TSA I have had it the 8 months I have lived here in the USA.  Things were looking up!  Since there was not many people only one Nudeoscope & 1 bag xray were being operated so I got in the very slow moving line and about 10 minutes, a nudeoscope, a pat down thanks to my jeans always setting off the dectector and my backpack being double scanned I was off into the concourse.

The B gates where Delta are operating are a mess to put it simply.  It is a major construction zone pretty much and it looks really run down and crap.  I am not quite sure what they are doing but it can’t come soon enough.  I walked up to the gate first to see if my aircraft was there (which it was), grabbed a quick photo in the dark and the rego as it was actually viewable for once and with that done for the morning, I headed off to the Skyclub for a coffee.

Though still the old fit out for the Skyclub in Newark, it does look slightly dodgy but not all that horrible really.  The two things that this lounge has over some of the others I have been through that morning was a fantastic view (the sun was just rising and it was pretty awesome) as off in the Distance you could just see New York City (the Chrysler building was standing out) and a view smack dab of the rotate point for any aircraft departing Newark that morning.  I had wished I had the SLR with the travel lens with me as it would of been some good shots with the sunrise right behind it.  Some may have been backlit but the silohuette shots would of been perfect.  O well!

Coffee in hand, Free WiFi, a quiet lounge (when I entered there was 3 people in the lounge total) and i was quite happy.  As expected I almost had to fight my way in, till eventually the lounge attendant worked out I had access (this is a fun game isn’t it!).  I sat down with a coffee and whiled away the hour or more I had in the lounge working on the internet.  Getting through all the trip report from yesterday and overnight.  Productive morning.

Again that damn trail mix got the better of me and the Oatmeal actually looked pretty decent this morning (though lumpy not watery) so Newark was looking pretty good.  One thing I noticed on the coffee machine was “Whipped Coffee”  I am not sure what that is, or if I should even attempt hitting that button at all in case it comes out with whipped cream on top.  What can I say about the Newark Skyclub.  It may look dodgy but it was pretty solid.

A few interesting conversations were overheard but eventually I looked at my watch, checked my boarding pass, saw the time we were meant to board and I hussled as I did not want to miss my flight.  Silly move though.

Delta Airlines – DL5819 (Operated by Compass Airlines)
Newark to Minneapolis St Paul
0805-1018
Embraer – E175 (N637CZ)
First Class – Seat: 1A

Boarding: 0742 (Gate 40)
Push Back: 0806
Take Off Roll: 0819 (Runway 4L)
Top of Descent: 0920
Touch Down: 0941 (Runway 12L)
Shut Down: 0946 (Gate F7)

As I approached the gate area there was not all that many people around so I knew it was going to be an empty flight, but boarding time came and went.  I was now starting to worry a little as I had about an hour on the ground in MSP and figured that this could be another day of running the concourses if things went to shit (though I had already run 5k that morning).  We did eventually board about 20 minutes prior to departure and first class was half empty by the looks of it.  A handful of people hit the jetbridge straight away and they probably also figured it might be full as we were all scurrying for overheard space, which on an ERJ or CRJ is PRIME!

Onboard it was good to be back in familiar territory of the Delta E75.  The first domestic flight I ever had with Delta was back on a Compass Embrarer when they were operating for Northwest just after the merge.  I do like the Embraer with a 1-2 set up onboard in first and 2-2 up the back.  The windows are up nice and high and the legroom isnt bad (though for some reason I couldn’t move my seat allocation last night so was again in the bulkhead).  There are only 2 crew onboard the small regionals of this size and it does feel like a more normal larger aircraft than the smaller CRJ or ERJ aircraft so it is a bit deceptive really.

I settled in and when PDB time rolled around, coffee was not yet quite ready so I took a diet coke instead.  The crew member up front was good.  No pen or paper at all for the PDB and he asked the entire cabin and got all the orders right.  This was looking like a good flight.  He was friendly and looked quite experienced.  What I found interesting was the old Compass Airlines bad which had the Northwest widget on it.  Talk about flash back.

From Comfy Run

As the flight boarded it was totally evident this was going to be an empty flight.  Pretty sure that every single Delta Elite on the flight would of been comp upgraded as it was First class was half empty with all the double seats only having one person and the single seats all occupied.  This is good (and it was reassured by the pilot mere moments after I thought it) because it will mean we can push on time and get out of here so I don’t have to go sprinting through MSP again.

We pushed back pretty much on time (30s off to be exact) and after a wierd sounding safety brief, a full brief from the cockpit including route info, it was time to taxi towards the active behind all the United aircraft.  The sites were pretty good at Newark actually.  I got a few good shots of aircraft I had not really gotten before like El Al, Air India.  The New American ERJ had already left so that was a bummer but can’t do much about that really.

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

We taxiied out fairly quickly and the good thing with the E series jets is that they are quite spritely so it didn’t take much of a take off roll before we were airborne and climbing out over New Jersey towards MSP.  Unfortunately no views of New York on my side so that was a bummer but meh!  As we climbed out there was no ding to advise electronics were ok and I could hear “G” the flight attendant (name redacted for privacy) check with the crew member in the back in case he missed it and when she confirmed it, they just went ahead with it anyway.  Breakfast “orders” were taken and I use “” because to be honest the only thing we ordered was a drink as everyone was getting the same cereal breakfast.  G addressed every customer by name which was impressive.

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

I read away while getting the ipod set up and a cup of  coffee was delivered after the laughable hot towell and shortly thereafter my breakfast tray was delivered.  One slight issue though.  This was a cold breakfast tray with cereal (which I preferred mind you) except, there was no spoon.  So I had to ask for one which caused a good laugh from G and he handed over a fresh napkin roll and yes there was a spoon in there thankfully.  Breakfast today was Corn Chex, a muffin, a croissant, yoghurt and fruit.  The croissant was cold and looked slightly stale so I ignored that, the muffin was still in its plastic wrapper from the factory, pass.  Cereal and fresh fruit it is.  My yoghurt looked like it was alive as I swear i saw the foil over the top move a few times ( probably due to the pressure) but other than that the breakfast was good enough for me.

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

We cruised along and I just read my book while enjoying my ceral and fruit.  Isn’t that what a sunday morning should be about?  Relaxation.  Once breakfast had been consumed and my coffee topped up countless times without merely a prompt I was content.  I grabbed my laptop down and started working on the trip report some more to get it all ready to go.  The seat belt sign went on and off a few times and it was due to the occasional bump but nothing huge.

Not much more can really be said about the flight as we cruised over the midwest.  Snow covered land below, the occasional frozen lake and city down below.  Something I hardly ever got to see.  As we approached initial descent something I had not seen any crew ever do was G went through the cabin to all guests with his smart phone and obviously the Delta app, offering to look up connecting gates for them.  I had done this when I first turned on my laptop but still, that is something you do not see happen all that often.  This flight had turned around my weekend from a “meh” to a “yay”.  I was happy to be back in the air, happy to have a coffee in one hand, book in the other and just enjoying it.  We started on down and I packed up my stuff ready for when it would all happen.  It looked like we were making good time, at least enough for a more relaxing connection in MSP at least.

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

We started descent a solid 30 mins early and with that we descended quietly and quickly towards MSP.  More snow, but the sun was out, slight smattering of clouds about and we were doing a nice long circuit around the city.  I had never really seen Minneapolis from the sky before so it was an interesting site.  I got to see the infamous Dome where the vikings play and its inflatable roof.  That was a site.  It doesn’t look inflatable from the sky at least.

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

As we turned onto finals we descended further and it looked so quiet below.  So very very quiet and sleepy this early sunday morning.  With that we were on the ground.  No mess, no fuss and heading for our gate.  We taxiied past the Air National Guard ramp and a gleaming C47 Commando so more desires and wishes I had an SLR with me.  The taxi was quick and effortless and as we docked at F7 I was looking forward to a nice leisurely layover, but not wanting to leave what had been a fantastic crew.  With that the doors opened, I thanked George for his service and I headed into the terminal… right as the battery in my camera died.  Plenty of time to charge that though!

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run

From Comfy Run