Flight Decision: When I looked at and booked my flight home about a month ago I had the option of flying a Delta non-stop to JFK or a United non-stop to Newark both at about the same convenient midday times for the same $150 one-way. My New York Airport preferences are LGA, followed by JFK, then NWK. I hadn’t though flown into and out of Newark in many years. The decision was made when I figured out that Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport has a United Club and that’s in Terminal 2 only used by United and Alaska. I decided on the United Flight option basically because of this reason and thought I might also visit a club when I arrived in Newark but decided I just wanted to get home in the end. One of these days I’ve got to fly out of Newark to finally check-out the post-merger flagship President’s Clubs.
Today:
I’m thinking about walking to the Light Rail to start this day flying home from my friends house a mile and a have away from the train in Tempe. We get distracted talking over breakfast and I don’t have time, instead getting in the car and I get driven the light rail. He’s in law school and has class otherwise he would have driven me all the way to the airport. My friend normally bikes the 1.5 miles to campus since parking is $750 a semester!
We pull off the Apache Blvd into the parking lot of a Days Inn, across from Dorsey Ln/Apache Blvd Station–(7 Photos) in the median of the Boulevard. I get out of the car at 9:51 as a westbound train to Phoenix (that I need to ride to get to the airport) with a silver bullet bus cores light ad is leaving, just missing it. I go and have to wait to buy my ticket from one of two working TVM behind a few people in line. I think my ticket is fake because it’s printed on completely white (not Valley Metro branded) paper that I’m used to being used just for receipts.
Two eastbound trains to Mesa stop before my train finally arrives at 10:05 (I have a 12:15 flight). It’s standing room only when I board but empties out as we stop at ASUs campus.
We cross the Town Lake at 10:16, look up at the map and I realize I’m just two stops from the airport.
I get off the light rail at the Airport Stop at 10:22 and head up the escalators at the front of the platform for the airport.
The escalators to the bridge to the PHX Sky Train have the same “Do not play on or near the escalators…have a nice day recordings we have in the New York City Subway.” I then head through the doors into the climate-conrolled skybridge across a parking lot to finally reach the Sky Train Station.
There is a board man standing by a podium that let’s you check bags directly at the light rail station. I quickly stop to ask him the cut off times and I’m told its between 90 minutes and 4 hours before only for US Airways and Southwest. I’m flying United and am not paying to check anything but am curious. A train is right there and I hop on.
More people board the train at the East Economy Parking Stop and looking out the window, entering the airport this sign confirms the I need for Terminal 2 for United. The train chatters incessantly with announcements including one that says “Welcome to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport – America’s Friendliest Airport”
The PHX SkyTrain only runs to the much larger terminal 4 and doesn’t serve the other two terminals 3 and 2. I arrive at Terminal 4 at 10:31 and follow the signs for the shuttle bus to terminal 2. These signs end by the time I leave the Sky Train Station, I end up going down to the departures level by accident where I ask someone who tells me to take an elevator one level down to arrivals for the shuttle bus. No escalators connect the arrivals and departure levels. They only connect one level up where the terminal 4 security check points are. I see an open door to a fire staircase and use that instead to head downstairs and figure out the Shuttle Bus (unlike in SLC where they get the curbs closest) stops at the second curb farther away from the terminal, crossing the roadway used by private vehicles.
I’m on the bus at 10:35, pulling into terminal 2, that is clearly much older, at 10:40.
I go straight to security and get to a directing TSA agent who checks my boarding pass for PreCheck. I get confused, think he says yes, but it’s a no. I walk through empty extra lanes and come to the main one that is moving slowly because of the nude-o-scope with two X-ray machines. I get my computer out and the usual shoes and coats. I walk up to the scanner explaining I have issues raising my left arm (slightly true), flashing my surgery scar from when I broke my arm, and am directed through the metal detector with a “You have a good flight sir” from the TSA officer manning the nude-o-scope. I have to wait a few moments to gather my bags since I’m now ahead of the line.
I find the UnitedClub in the old outdated terminal (used by just United and Alaska and Great Lakes Airlines EAS Flights). I check in with a friendly UnitedClub agent saying (in a friendly way) “Your one of those Amtrak people, I have a couple regulars from the East Coast.” I’m happy that the PHX Airport, in the largest city without Amtrak service, has an agent who recognizes an Amtrak Select+ Card! I bet the Maricopa Amtrak Station agent wouldn’t know what to make of one.
I’ve found out that my fight is using an Airbus plane with the dreaded slimline seats that have reduced legroom from 31″ to a tight 30″ and ask how much Economy Plus would cost. He says $30 to $40 but will look up the prices for me. The prices are much more astronomical, $80 for a last window, $108 for the aisle of the exit row. Not worth it! The agent is surprised and apologizes saying he’s used to shorter Denver or Houston flights and not nearly transcons. He confirms my seat selection at the back of the plane still has an empty middle seat next to it.
I’m sitting down at 10:50 and am sad to see breakfast has been put away so no granola today. There is just wrapped cheddar cheese, packaged Milanos and shortbread, and the towers of off brand gold fish, yogurt covered things and trail mix. I grab some wrap packages of cookies to stuff my pockets with to seat on the plane since United doesn’t give out any free snacks anymore and sit down with gold fish and processed cheese. I grab my computer and get a small amount of website work done. I debate but decide not to have a free bloody merry from the bar. I’m looking forward to reading on this flight. There is a nice view of planes at gates beneath us.
I leave the Club at 11:45 and walk out and think my flights just staring boarding before I realize I’m at the wrong, cramped gate across from my actual gate (6A). I walk across to my gate where the last boarding group is getting on. I wait for a women to get her bag checked to her final destination that’s marginal. She clearly would have checked it at the counter had this been free. The agent taking me waiting, there is a line in the jet bridge before I then get on the plane. I head to the back and am told to store my bag slightly ahead. The short flight attendant then asks if she can “borrow my height.” I dump my stuff I want in flighton my still empty row and do the task. It’s push up on the top of the bin so it will close.
I sit down realizing there really is an inch less of legroom for the new slimline seats. I’m still sitting at the gate I’m already finding the seat uncomfortable. Yes there is a bit more space with the magazines above the tray table and the seats are thinner but 30″ down from 31″ of pitch is a huge difference.
One women gets on the aisle seat but when they close the door the middle seat is empty and I dump my coats and shoes under it and camera on it. Choosing the back worked! The woman even comments “I’m only on this flight because mine was canceled” I guess I might have had an entire row perhaps. They close the door at 12:02, right on time.
12:10 – The Captain come on with an overly friendly, over embellished announcement. Saying we have searched the world for the best flight attendants and their on this flight. He ends with “Thank you for flying the friendly skies of the new United”
12:13 – The safety a announcement done manually begins. The retrofitted slim minus A320s had all of their inflight entertainment removed so it’s is purser speaking. She doesn’t have the whole announcement down, she is clearly used to just pushing play for a video. Flight attendants on other airlines that have to do this everyday sound like they’re doing it in their sleep.
We’re taxiing at 12:15 and take off at 12:23. I see the light rail as we leave sunny Phoenix.
With just three flight attendants, one in first class, one pushing the beverage cart, and one the buy on board snack cart it took a good half-hour for the cart to get to me. I don’t buy anything but have a lunch of a peanut butter sandwich I made at my friend’s house, ginger ale, and herbal tea with the tea bag taken from the UnitedClub for my flight. The flight attendant has hot water on the cart and gets a kick out of it, even when I ask for a refill. It’s not quite the time I brought leftover ribs a few years ago and still remembering “that looks good!”
I spend the flight reading my book and getting two more refills of hot water for my tea. One of the two flight attendants for us in the back clearly gets a kick out of me sitting at my seat drinking tea. I finally listen to maybe half an album on my iPhone before they come around for a second full beverage run (but don’t push the Buy-on-board food cart around again), order a ginger rail and wake up again. Having the middle seat is really great for putting drinks and not having to use your own tray table.
5:30 EST – the sunset behind us as we get the 45 minutes left of flight time announcement. I don’t remember hearing one ever before until my Jackson Hole flight but I guess it’s now standard on United Airlines at least to give people time to take car of business before landing.
We touch down at 6:11, a half-hour early. Much to my surprise Gate 107 is already ready for us. I’m thinking we might be waiting for a lack of gate but at 6:20 were just waiting for tug. We get to the gate at 6:28, the downside to being comfortable in the back, the wait to get off.
I’m finally off the plane at 6:37. The temperature has dropped from 75 F to 19 F.
I’ve decided its time to finally go the poor man’s way home from Newark. The cheapest way I’ve found via public transportation. I think I see the GO BRT bus but miss it since at Newark buses stop at the outer curve and there is a fence so you can’t jaywalk across. I go out to the NJT Bus stop and see that local route 62 operates every 10 to 15 minutes with the trip to Newark Penn taking about 20 minutes.
The next 62 bus comes at 6:50 after two routes I don’t want to ride pass. I pay my $1.50 fare and were making local sops on Broad Street, through South Newark, having left the airport area at 6:53. I’m not the only traveler NJT I think the only one going all the way into Manhattan. We pull into an outer bus way at the main bus terminal along Raymond Blvd for Newark Penn Station 7:07. With the slow speed of AirTrain and then waiting for an NJT train the bus just might have been faster.
I go into Newark Penn Station–(1 Photo) and tap into PATH at 7:10. I get on this add wrapped PA-5, freezing for 5 minutes from the open PATH doors, they really need a just a few doors opening, setting like new subway cars.
My train to WTC finally leaves at 7:15. We make a yard stop and we arrive into WTC–(1 Photo) at 7:38. There are Port Authority Mass Transit Super Bowl signs everywhere. A machine is selling limited edition Smart Link Cards with the George Washington Bridge as the image. I have a $5 in my wallet and make the impulse purchase for one.
I then dash to Chambers Street–(2 Photos) through the cold forgetting the front of Fulton Street is actually about the same distance if not closer to the front of the A train where I need to be. I’m swipe in at 7:50 and have to wait. I notice the contrast of people waring winter coats here to the practically nothing they were waring on the light rail in Phoenix. I am sitting on the A train at 7:56.
I get off the A train at 8:31 and walk through the freezing cold park home, my final trip before starting graduate school finished and just four days of freedom before I actually have my first class!