I’m flying US for the second week in a row (no, I do not want my roach pin back), and this week I had to go through PHL. To say the least with the new carry on rules I was not looking forward to it. Please keep in mind I have not been on US for almost a year and half and thought maybe the employees and those in the sand castle might enjoy a report from someone who has not flown in a while.
Usual crap with the web site. Seat maps, OLCI didn’t work. I had to called the PLT desk to get seats after booking, asking for exit rows which agent says he confirms for me. He didn’t.
As I go to check in for the 6:45 AM flight, the DM line is long. As bad as I hate kiosk, I decided to give my little friend one more try. The first of many surprises of the day; it works. Of course there is only one guy working the kiosk and so I have to wait well over 5 minutes for the bag tag. This guy was going very slow and you could tell he really could care less. Well that made two of us as it was 5:30 AM.
Walked over to the Thousand Standing Around and there is only one person in line so I’m wondering just why I got up at 4:00 AM for this. Breeze through the line and head to gate. Walked up and asked the agent to check on who got my exit seat after he rather curtly explains that first is full. Then he explains that there has been an equipment change from a 21 to a 19. That explains his mood…..
Partner pipes up and corrects him explaining that, no, it was a schedule change and the birds will be a 19 from now on. Funny but three days before the seat map (before it quit working) was still showing a 21. So we are back to the left hand /right hand thing all over again.
So I board and take all of row 19. Only about 40 folks flying this morning. It is at this point surprise number 2 is apparent. The bird is spotless. She looks like she is brand new. Needless to say I’m stunned and immediately take a nap to PHL. Slept all the way so no crew report here other than I remembered every one of them from prior flights and they were very friendly.
On arrival into PHL captain comes on PA and announces there is no one to marshal us in. I’m thinking here we go again and just about the time I’m thinking it we began to move. (Me thinks the captain was surprised as well). So let’s see, isn't that surprise number 3?
Surprise number 4 and 5 come back to back. As I’m leaving the plane I literally bump into three cleaners coming on to the bird. Had I not been flying DL the last 18 months I not sure I would have remembered what they looked like. Surprise number 5 comes as I enter the terminal. My God, it has been painted, new carpet laid and new seats. And it is not at just one gate, it’s every gate. I’m slapping my head cause I know I’ve gone to sleep and Dougie has ejected me with a shot of kool-aid. I simply could not believe the difference in how much better the concourse looked. I was stunned.
Oh, but I must say the surprises just kept on coming. (It is really l4pi or an imposter posting all these glowing reviews). I get to baggage claim and try to find a seat to finish my nap…. Only to hear the buzzer going off. Can it be…..surely not…..looks like my bag…..my gawd it is my bag and with in two minutes of my arrival in baggage.
So here is the long and short of the first part of the dreaded PHL trip, I’m stunned. PHL is actually cleaner than CLT. The stars and the moon may have very well aligned for the first time in years, but I was impressed. Kudos to those in PHL and Tempe for at least cleaning the planes and for painting the gates. It is a major improvement and I tip my hat to you.
I had an 8:05 flight out that night to ORF on air whiskey. I got to airport early, but having learned my lesson last week, I refrained from trying to stand by for the 5:40 flight which was booked to capacity. So I head up to F34. What ever I was drinking in the AM has now worn off. The gate area was absolutely nasty. I was almost afraid to walk on the floor WITH SHOES ON. Now this is the PHL I remember.
Gate agent announces that flight is oversold and they need a volunteer, so I walk up and ask if she can still get me to ORF that evening. Now had I been working the gate I would have checked the options for getting a pax to ORF before making that announcement, but I had to wait for several minutes while she typed one key at a time only to tell me the last flight to ORF connected in DCA and oh wait…..it just left. I declined the offer to volunteer. You DO get what you pay for.
The flight boards and every seat is taken at 7:50 so I’m not real sure why we pushed at 8:15. I was on the right side so I didn’t not get a chance to see the colorful attire of those working on the ramp. Thankfully the flight is on a CRJ-200. Maybe it is because I've become used to them on America's Sh!tiest Airline, but they are much more comfortable to me than the ERJ 145's. Flight is ok, plane is very clean, FA is very professional and we arrive 5 minutes early. Arriving early NEVER happens on ASA
But wait. We are not done with the surprises. I get to ORF baggage claim and my bag is already there. PHL had put it on the 5:40 flight. Will some one please wake me up…
To be continued….I’m on Mesa on the way home…
Usual crap with the web site. Seat maps, OLCI didn’t work. I had to called the PLT desk to get seats after booking, asking for exit rows which agent says he confirms for me. He didn’t.
As I go to check in for the 6:45 AM flight, the DM line is long. As bad as I hate kiosk, I decided to give my little friend one more try. The first of many surprises of the day; it works. Of course there is only one guy working the kiosk and so I have to wait well over 5 minutes for the bag tag. This guy was going very slow and you could tell he really could care less. Well that made two of us as it was 5:30 AM.
Walked over to the Thousand Standing Around and there is only one person in line so I’m wondering just why I got up at 4:00 AM for this. Breeze through the line and head to gate. Walked up and asked the agent to check on who got my exit seat after he rather curtly explains that first is full. Then he explains that there has been an equipment change from a 21 to a 19. That explains his mood…..
Partner pipes up and corrects him explaining that, no, it was a schedule change and the birds will be a 19 from now on. Funny but three days before the seat map (before it quit working) was still showing a 21. So we are back to the left hand /right hand thing all over again.
So I board and take all of row 19. Only about 40 folks flying this morning. It is at this point surprise number 2 is apparent. The bird is spotless. She looks like she is brand new. Needless to say I’m stunned and immediately take a nap to PHL. Slept all the way so no crew report here other than I remembered every one of them from prior flights and they were very friendly.
On arrival into PHL captain comes on PA and announces there is no one to marshal us in. I’m thinking here we go again and just about the time I’m thinking it we began to move. (Me thinks the captain was surprised as well). So let’s see, isn't that surprise number 3?
Surprise number 4 and 5 come back to back. As I’m leaving the plane I literally bump into three cleaners coming on to the bird. Had I not been flying DL the last 18 months I not sure I would have remembered what they looked like. Surprise number 5 comes as I enter the terminal. My God, it has been painted, new carpet laid and new seats. And it is not at just one gate, it’s every gate. I’m slapping my head cause I know I’ve gone to sleep and Dougie has ejected me with a shot of kool-aid. I simply could not believe the difference in how much better the concourse looked. I was stunned.
Oh, but I must say the surprises just kept on coming. (It is really l4pi or an imposter posting all these glowing reviews). I get to baggage claim and try to find a seat to finish my nap…. Only to hear the buzzer going off. Can it be…..surely not…..looks like my bag…..my gawd it is my bag and with in two minutes of my arrival in baggage.
So here is the long and short of the first part of the dreaded PHL trip, I’m stunned. PHL is actually cleaner than CLT. The stars and the moon may have very well aligned for the first time in years, but I was impressed. Kudos to those in PHL and Tempe for at least cleaning the planes and for painting the gates. It is a major improvement and I tip my hat to you.
I had an 8:05 flight out that night to ORF on air whiskey. I got to airport early, but having learned my lesson last week, I refrained from trying to stand by for the 5:40 flight which was booked to capacity. So I head up to F34. What ever I was drinking in the AM has now worn off. The gate area was absolutely nasty. I was almost afraid to walk on the floor WITH SHOES ON. Now this is the PHL I remember.
Gate agent announces that flight is oversold and they need a volunteer, so I walk up and ask if she can still get me to ORF that evening. Now had I been working the gate I would have checked the options for getting a pax to ORF before making that announcement, but I had to wait for several minutes while she typed one key at a time only to tell me the last flight to ORF connected in DCA and oh wait…..it just left. I declined the offer to volunteer. You DO get what you pay for.
The flight boards and every seat is taken at 7:50 so I’m not real sure why we pushed at 8:15. I was on the right side so I didn’t not get a chance to see the colorful attire of those working on the ramp. Thankfully the flight is on a CRJ-200. Maybe it is because I've become used to them on America's Sh!tiest Airline, but they are much more comfortable to me than the ERJ 145's. Flight is ok, plane is very clean, FA is very professional and we arrive 5 minutes early. Arriving early NEVER happens on ASA
But wait. We are not done with the surprises. I get to ORF baggage claim and my bag is already there. PHL had put it on the 5:40 flight. Will some one please wake me up…
To be continued….I’m on Mesa on the way home…
Give my regards to Crazy Jane, your confused FA.
