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I took a total of 5 rountrip flights during the summer (10 if you count each individual leg), one of them being Spirit ACY-DEN (www.spiritair.com) in early September. I didn't get a chance to post it until now.
Spirit Airlines
Sep. 7, 2003
ACY-DEN
Departed (in local times): 720
Arrived (in local times): 1105
I left my house at about 5:00 for the airport, very excited to fly on my longest flight from ACY to date. I took a cab to the airport, and was dropped off in front of ACY's terminal building at about 5:15. I payed my cabbie and stepped, once again, into the Atlantic City International Airport Terminal building, which is rather small, yet very upscale compared to alot of other major airports in the area. Looking around the check-in area, I noticed that yet again the airlines had changed at ACY from the last time I had been there. I spotted a Delta (Comair) check-in desk, a US-Airways Check in desk, and next to that my Spirit check-in desk.
Check-in went rather slow, as there were only two agents and 3 other Spirit flights all departing within the next 2 hours (to Ft. Lauderdale, San Juan, and Orlando), being that ACY is Spirit's eastern hub.
I got to security at 5:45, and got to the other side at 5:55, which was pretty reasonable. Entering ACY's VERY small gate area (there are only 6 gates; 4 with jetways, of which Spirit operates out of), I had time to snap a picture of a Comair CRJ, about to push back for its 6:00 departure to CVG (it was running a little of schedule). Surprisingly, the CRJ used a jetway, a VERY rare occurence at ACY
. My flight was going to board at 6:55, so I had just under an hour to get a bite to eat, use the bathroom, buy my magazine, and do some spotting. Spotting at ACY is very scarce, being that there were at that time only 3 airlines, although I did get an unmarked 737 (I guess on a charter??) and a Southeast DC-9 (also on a charter flight). Finally, I made my way over to Gate 3, where my MD-80 pulled in, and took some pictures of that and the Spirit MD80 at Gate 1 getting ready to depart for MCO.
They boarded first class first, and then flinally us coach people. Although it's advertised and sold as a nonstop flight, the ACY-DEN flight stops in DTW to let passengers on/off and refuel.
Pushback and the safety briefing went by quick, and we took off right after a U.S. Airways DHC-8 to PHL. The flight was relativly uneventful, and almost completely full, and the 3 FA's were your standard "I'm doing my job and nothing more" kind of people. We made great timing from ACY-DTW; 1 hr. and 25 minutes, arriving 15 minutes early in DTW.
We stopped at a gate next to another Spirit plane (DTW is Spirit's Midwest Hub), and altough I'm not at all familiar with DTW, I know it was not the new terminal. I think it was the Smith terminal.
About an hour later, at 9:17, the plane pushed back, and we waited in quite a long line for takeoff. We finally lifted off at 9:40 and were on our way to DEN. Like the first leg of the flight, the second leg was rather uneventful, with the same FAs. We got served a small bag of pretzels and beverage service came around twice.
As we approached DEN, we looked sort of high once over the runway, and I think we narrowly missed a go-around. Flight time from DTW-DEN was 3 hrs., 5 min.
We arrived at the gate about 10 minutes after landing, in Conc. C of the Jeppesen Terminal.
I met my friend about 30 minutes later at baggage claim, and had a great couple of days in the Mile-High City.
Overall for Spirit: B
Spirit Airlines
Sep. 7, 2003
ACY-DEN
Departed (in local times): 720
Arrived (in local times): 1105
I left my house at about 5:00 for the airport, very excited to fly on my longest flight from ACY to date. I took a cab to the airport, and was dropped off in front of ACY's terminal building at about 5:15. I payed my cabbie and stepped, once again, into the Atlantic City International Airport Terminal building, which is rather small, yet very upscale compared to alot of other major airports in the area. Looking around the check-in area, I noticed that yet again the airlines had changed at ACY from the last time I had been there. I spotted a Delta (Comair) check-in desk, a US-Airways Check in desk, and next to that my Spirit check-in desk.
Check-in went rather slow, as there were only two agents and 3 other Spirit flights all departing within the next 2 hours (to Ft. Lauderdale, San Juan, and Orlando), being that ACY is Spirit's eastern hub.
I got to security at 5:45, and got to the other side at 5:55, which was pretty reasonable. Entering ACY's VERY small gate area (there are only 6 gates; 4 with jetways, of which Spirit operates out of), I had time to snap a picture of a Comair CRJ, about to push back for its 6:00 departure to CVG (it was running a little of schedule). Surprisingly, the CRJ used a jetway, a VERY rare occurence at ACY
. My flight was going to board at 6:55, so I had just under an hour to get a bite to eat, use the bathroom, buy my magazine, and do some spotting. Spotting at ACY is very scarce, being that there were at that time only 3 airlines, although I did get an unmarked 737 (I guess on a charter??) and a Southeast DC-9 (also on a charter flight). Finally, I made my way over to Gate 3, where my MD-80 pulled in, and took some pictures of that and the Spirit MD80 at Gate 1 getting ready to depart for MCO.They boarded first class first, and then flinally us coach people. Although it's advertised and sold as a nonstop flight, the ACY-DEN flight stops in DTW to let passengers on/off and refuel.
Pushback and the safety briefing went by quick, and we took off right after a U.S. Airways DHC-8 to PHL. The flight was relativly uneventful, and almost completely full, and the 3 FA's were your standard "I'm doing my job and nothing more" kind of people. We made great timing from ACY-DTW; 1 hr. and 25 minutes, arriving 15 minutes early in DTW.
We stopped at a gate next to another Spirit plane (DTW is Spirit's Midwest Hub), and altough I'm not at all familiar with DTW, I know it was not the new terminal. I think it was the Smith terminal.
About an hour later, at 9:17, the plane pushed back, and we waited in quite a long line for takeoff. We finally lifted off at 9:40 and were on our way to DEN. Like the first leg of the flight, the second leg was rather uneventful, with the same FAs. We got served a small bag of pretzels and beverage service came around twice.
As we approached DEN, we looked sort of high once over the runway, and I think we narrowly missed a go-around. Flight time from DTW-DEN was 3 hrs., 5 min.
We arrived at the gate about 10 minutes after landing, in Conc. C of the Jeppesen Terminal.
I met my friend about 30 minutes later at baggage claim, and had a great couple of days in the Mile-High City.
Overall for Spirit: B