Today started really early with the alarm going off at 3:45 AM. I got dropped off at the Palm Springs airport and was surprised that large sections of the terminal were outdoors like Hawaii. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised as other smaller airports in California were that way. The flight from Palm Springs to Seattle was an Airbus 320 (I think) and at the last minute, I got upgraded. The first class seats are unlike any other Alaska Air flight I’ve been on. Enough leg room that I couldn’t even touch the bulkhead, electric reclining seats with recliner footrests and built-in massage. There was a wired remote control and keyboard for the screen buried in the other armrest. I didn’t play around with that since I just discovered it while we were on final approach.
There is a 4½ hour layover in Seattle. It was also snowing here this morning so we got to sit on the taxiway for a while due to delays on flights leaving the terminal. We ended up sitting on the taxiway for 90 minutes. Quite a few irritated passengers who missed their connections. The person next to me was an off-grid equipment vendor so I ended up talking to him for a bit. Specifically, hybrid inverters. These are ones that will allow you o combine power from multiple sources, such as battery and 20 amp shore power, to power higher power devices. The classic example is a 2000 watt generator running an RV air conditioner. More power is needed initially to start the compressor and this extra could be provided by the inverter. The generator has plenty of power to keep the unit running once it's started.
My flight is due to arrive in Fairbanks late afternoon today. Hopefully, there aren't too many delays.
Upgraded to first class eh? Nice. And lucky for you to have the guy next to you being able to provide interesting conversation on a topic you're interested in. I still will go to seriously long lengths to avoid flying....
ReplyDeleteDom,
DeleteYou'll want to avoid flying from NZ to Doha then! We did it 2 years ago en route to Africa. 18 hours continuous flight. Couldn't face cattle class and went business which helped a lot. Not up to Richard's first class experience (nice one, Richard!) but it sure helps with international travel!
This was an especially nice upgrade. Plus, there was such a long layover in Seattle, I wasn't the least bit stressed about missing a connection like many others. Lots of cursing behind me...
DeleteGeoff,
DeleteI flew to Ethiopia from Alaska several years ago and there were two 14 hour legs. And I was in coach but at least had the aisle. What surprised me were all the meals they served and free beer and wine. I guess they wanted to keep the passengers quiet...
Nice upgrade on your flight. Massage in the seats and electric reclining? Wow.
ReplyDeleteThese are new planes for Alaska Airlines. Maybe acquired as part of the Virgin America acquisition. But pretty nice accommodations.
DeleteWow, very nice to get upgraded AND have a neighbor with knowledge of a topic so dear to you! I am curious why you had to go back to Alaska, but Bridget didn't? Was it business or related to the 'out of state' timeline?
ReplyDeleteIt was the out of state timeline and Bridget went back a couple of weeks later. Since we have the two dogs, we needed to stagger our trips.
DeleteAh, yes, since we don't have pets, I didn't think of that aspect. It's cool that you planned all that out.
ReplyDelete