ORD – SEA (1,710 Miles)
Another great Sunday morning flight. I decided to once again sit in the exit row, 15A this time, a window seat. Once again as the row was completely full and the shoulder space was tight, but the extra leg room made the long fight more enjoyable. I was on a new 737-800 with an updated cabin. I really enjoy the power outlet in the seat back and the tv monitor with an interactive map. The flight was smooth and as we began our approach to SeaTac I was amazed with the views of Mt. Rainier.
I had a short layover in Seattle airport which was just enough time to enjoy lunch with great views of the runways. My flight was scheduled for 2pm, but I decided to try to fly standby on the 12:00pm flight in order to arrive early into John Wayne and make it to the beach in the afternoon.
SEA – SNA (798 Miles)
Compared to the prior flight, this 2 hour flight was extremely quick. Once up in the air the beverage service started and I learned a valuable lesson, talk to the flight attendants. I try to meet the crew each time I am onboard, I ask them where they are based? If this is their last flight of the day? How long have they been FAs? I find that they really appreciate the interest and tend to hand you an extra pack of snacks or even a premium beverage for free. Once we landed I made my way to the Admirals Club for a quick beer while I waited for my co-worker to land. The SNA Admirals Club was elevated above the terminal with limited views of the runway. Not the best location, but I enjoyed my short stay.
SNA – ORD (1,720 Miles)
This flight was once again on a new 737-800. I had to work on this flight which proved to be challenging in the standard legroom seats. I decided to try out 16F because the middle seat is blocked off and no passenger can sit next to you. This flight was nearly empty and many passengers had entire rows to themselves. I wish on this occasion that I would have picked a Main Cabin Extra seat for the added room to work. I was unhappy also that the seat back entertainment was not working, but once the flight attendant “reset” the system I was able to make in-filght purchases.The flight was overall turbulent, but it was apparent that the flight crew decided to take the quickest route and sacrificed passenger comfort because we arrived ahead of schedule. The trip was a busy one, but had it been for pleasure I would have gladly spent the extra money to fly into John Wayne. From the airport its a quick drive to dozens of hotels and only 15 minutes from the beach. Plus the views of the Private Jets is an added bonus.
