Delta Flight DL1451 MSP to LAS Trip Report

Prior to my trip, I had reserved an aisle seat in Economy Comfort, but
was upgraded to First Class seat 7C a few days before my trip.  I was
definitely glad to get the upgrade!

We boarded at Gate G22 at 5:13pm. The storage above my seat, which was
at the back of first class, was just big enough for my bag.

When I arrived at my seat, there were some Billboard headphones and a
bottle of Dasani water.  There was an inflight entertainment (IFE)
screen on the seat back in front of me and a plug in between my seat
and the seat next to me.  When I plugged in my phone, when I boarded,
it did not charge my phone.    Unfortunately, my phone did not charge,
even after we took off.

The flight attendant took my pre-flight drink order at 5:24pm and my
margarita made with Avion tequila.  It came in a plastic cup, instead
of a glass one, as I have been accustomed to.  We pulled back at
5:42pm and took off at 5:56pm.

On the IFE, I decided to watch Godzilla, starring Bryan Cranston,
since I had never seen it.  As I began watching it, before take off,
the flight attendant hurried me to finish my margarita, which
surprised me.

Another flight attendant, Antwan, later came through to take our
dinner order.  We had a choice between a Mexican Chop Salad with
jalapeño chicken and a turkey and swiss hot sandwich.  I chose the hot
turkey and swiss. To drink, I ordered another margarita.

It was nice, since Antwan starting taking orders at our row, the rear
of the first class cabin.  Usually I have found that flight attendants
start at the front of the cabin and by the time they reach me, I only
have one choice.

The other flight attendant then came through with the hot towel.
After retrieving all of the used towels, the same flight attendant
came through and place napkins on our tray.

My margarita was brought first in a glass, then they came by with
snacks - a choice of peanuts, pretzels and Biscoff cookies.  I chose
the Biscoff cookies, as I had chosen on the flight from South Bend to
Minneapolis.

When the sandwich arrived, it was accompanied by some fruit (grapes,
sliced apple and a strawberry), a Dancing Deer Baking Company maple
oatmeal cookie, and a package of Cape Code kettle cooked potato chips.
The sandwich was also accompanied by a pickle and a packet of
Hellman's real mayonnaise and a packet of Grey Poupon Dijon mustard.

I dispensed the mustard and mayonnaise on to the sandwich and
proceeded to take a bite.  Overall, not a bad sandwich.  The bread was
nice a crispy.  The fruit was fresh and the chips and cookie were
quite good.

DL1451 MSP to LAS

After dinner, I thought that I would try one of the new mixed drinks
that is featured in the Skymiles magazine.  As I talked to Antwan, he
ascertained that I would enjoy the Silver Horizon, which is Avion
tequila and Fresca, garnished with one each of lemon and orange
wedges.  It was quite tasty and was served in a glass.

I found it interesting that the New York based crew was fully African
American.  I wonder if the flight attendants assemble their teams or
if Delta determined that such a team would be beneficial.

For my last drink I ordered a Platinum Take Off.  It was Woodford
Reserve small batch bourbon, cranberry-apple juice and a splash of
club soda.  It had a nice, deep fruity flavor.

We started our initial descent at 8:29pm Central time.  The flight up
to that point was quite smooth.  The pilot came on the intercom to let
us know that it would be another 25 minutes and that we would be
heading to Gate D37 after we landed.

We landed at 6:50pm in Las Vegas - it was an easy landing.  We taxied
to Gate D37 and arrived at the gate at 6:57pm and deplaned at 6:59pm.

Delta Flight DL4449 SBN to MSP Trip Report

As I tried to park at South Bend, the machine to the extended parking
did not spit out the ticket and the gate did not go up. I waited
about 60 seconds and hit the button again. This time the ticket spit
out of the machine. Although the entrance to the parking took some
time, I did find a prime parking spot closest to both the terminal and
the exit for when I would return.

I got through security pretty quickly. I had to wait for two couples
with one couple having a baby. They were a bit slow, but I still made
it to Gate A5 within 10 minutes if exiting my car.

On this trip I reserved seat 5C, an aisle seat. I have normally
reserved a spot in the exit row, but have found that it is usually
populated by someone even larger than I, which makes for an
uncomfortable trip. I thought I would try a different tact and get a
regular seat.

The only problem with Delta flights out of South Bend are that all of
the planes are CRJs. Not only is it a small plane with few seats, it
also requires one to check their bag. It is always disappointing,
since I have a carry on to facilitate a quicker, more efficient trip.

DL4449 SBN to MSP

The gate agent came around well before we boarded and attached a pink
baggage claim ticket to my carry on. This time I received claim
ticket 9006493238. I have never had to use a claim ticket for my
carry on, luckily enough.

Boarding started at 3:45pm for a scheduled 4:10pm departure. I always
wait until the end to board, since I have to check my carry on. This
strategy has sometimes ended with a small confrontation in the exit
row with someone who has tried to poach my seat.

I was nearly the last to board the CRJ200 and was greeted by our
flight attendant, Allie. I cozied into my seat in row 5, joining an
older lady, Diane, who was headed to Oceanside/San Diego, CA. She
manages self storage units in North County San Diego. She was
originally from Goshen, IN and is a practicing Jehovah's Witness.

The doors were shut at 4:05pm and we pushed back from the gate at
4:08pm and took off at 4:20pm. The pilot came on the overhead and
said that it would take an hour and five minutes to get to Minneapolis
and said that it should be a fairly smooth flight. We took off late,
because the pilots were waiting for a landing gate. That was curious
because the Delta app indicated that we would be landing at Gate A2.

When Allie came around, I asked for a can of Fresca with a cup of ice
and Biscoff cookies.

We started our initial descent at 4pm Central time and touched down at
4:25pm. Our flight and landing were both smooth. We taxied to Gate
A2, arriving at the gate finally at 4:34pm.

After deplaning at 4:39pm, I was able to get my bag at 4:52, though it
came through the side door behind me, instead of on the lift rack near
the exit into the terminal. There must have been too many bags to fit
on the lift rack.