Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ICDC in LAX on WN!

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • ICDC in LAX on WN!

    Preface
    I am taking a trip to the DECA ICDC (International Career Development Conference) which took place in Anaheim, California! DECA is an organization of high school marketing students, and I personally feel it is the best organization in the world! I have learned so much from it, and it has had a pretty large impact on my life!

    Anyways, I was attending this conference because I placed at the DECA State Competition. My group and I placed 1st place in the state, in an event titled "International Business Plan". It required us to put together a 30 page business plan over a business of our choosing. We decided to make a unique insurance company, and we spent a ton of time working on this plan. We were extremely happy to make it to the DECA International Competition.

    logo


    Information About the Flight


    Airline: Southwest (WN)
    Flight: 655
    Route: MCI-LAX
    Route:CHIEF3 CATTS HLC J64 PGS RIIVR2
    Reg: N659SW
    Depart: 8:13
    Arrive: 9:25



    Going to the Airport
    I woke up at 3:30 am for a flight that left at 8:30. I was super excited to finally be going to Anaheim, CA! I was at the airport at 6:45, where I met up with all of the other people from my school.

    Arriving at the Airport
    I was super excited to be at the airport!!!

    Checking in for the flight only took about 30 seconds, and security was a breeze! (for the first time!) This was actually the first time I have had an MCI TSA agent treat me like a person, instead like an animal. So good job MCI TSA!

    Here are some pictures from when I was arriving at the airport

    The control tower and terminal B sign


    Great Lakes and US Airways aircraft


    Southwest Airlines!


    MCI Control Tower looking nice in the morning!


    A picture from the parking lot, with the morning sun shining on Terminal B.


    When I got into the gate area I saw this bird sitting at gate 39, and pretty soon the aviation-geek inside of me started to appear, and I started to snap tons of pictures!

    WN 737 at gate 39


    My plane (N659SW) sitting at gate 38


    A flight being pushed, with an FL 717 taxiing for takeoff on 1L


    A closer picture


    A NW (or should I say DL?) Airbus 319 beginning it's takeoff roll on 1L


    I finally got a picture of a YX EMB-170!!! I think they look pretty sharp in the YX livery, but I hope that Midwest is able to get all of their issues sorted out, as they used to be one of my favorite airlines to fly.


    WN aircraft sitting at a gate, with the MCI fire house in the background.


    Taxiing to 1L via taxiway Alpha


    The pilots hard at work, going through checklists. One of the engines is on. I love the reflection of the engines on the fuselage.


    Boarding
    We checked in at around 23 hours before the flight, and I got number A50, which I was somewhat disappointed with. But I was happy to know that the flight was around 60% full! Boarding went smoothly, they boarded business select, 15-30, and then 30-60. After about a minute of waiting in the jetway, I was able to sit in my favorite seat! (seat 21A) I don't know why I love that seat, but I sit in row 21 on every WN flight I take! I really need to try a different seat! lol, I read in Alex's report that row 17 was his favorite, I might need to try sitting there some time!

    While I was getting on the flight, I talked with the flight attendant to try to arrange something special for my best-friend, who is also in DECA and was one of my partners for the business plan event. It was his birthday a couple days before we left, and I wanted to arrange a "toilet paper birthday cake" for him. You will read about that a little later in the report!

    After getting situated, to my surprise I saw ship N484WN! I was surprised because I flew with this bird a couple months ago from Oakland! , This trip was full of me seeing aircraft again, because on the return segment, I saw N382SW which I flew in December to OAK.


    N484WN being pushed.


    here is a photo of an AA 757 with winglets that I saw! I was completely shocked to see one at MCI! :O


    Taxi and Takeoff
    The taxi time was short, as takeoff was from Runway 1L, which isn't to far from Terminal B. This was my first time taking off from 1L, which was pretty cool. But I like 19R better, because after takeoff there is usually a turn that provides a good overview of the airport.

    Here is a video of the safety announcements, and engine start up. Sorry for having it skip in some areas. I stopped the video to get a couple pictures of the 757!

    Also sorry for the quality. I had to compress the video, so it wouldn't take forever to upload!


    Here is a view of A WN and YX jet, with an AA 757 takeoff, and a UA A319 peaking behind a jetway.


    We stopped in front of Runway 1L, and I was surprised. I thought that we were having a mechanical problem and we would return to the gate. To my surprise we were holding short for an incoming WN jet!

    lol, it was surprising, because I have never had to hold for an arriving aircraft at MCI, because it usually isn't busy!


    About to get ready for takeoff


    The takeoff was extremely fun! The CFM-56 engines were very powerful! (btw, I usually don't fly on a/c larger than 737s, lol) It was extremely fun, and we were shortly completing our takeoff roll and getting into the sky!

    Here is a video of the takeoff. Sorry about the quality!


    Just after takeoff


    In-Flight
    As always, whenever I fly on Southwest Airlines, I always seem to get a better experience! I don't know how they can always top themselves each time I fly with them!

    The flight crew was amazing! They demonstrated the 3 qualities of Southwest with great integrity! (Servant's heart, Warrior Spirit, Fun LUV-ing Attitude) Every flight crew I have had on Southwest has been consistent in the extremely high level of service they have provided, and that is one of the reasons I keep returning back to Southwest!

    There were 3 drink services during this flight, which shocked me! All of the flights I have had on WN over 3 hours have had at least 3 drink services too, but it still shocks me! This is amazing, because I have been on a 4 hour flight from SJC-ORD that only had 1 drink service, and no actual food.

    Southwest Airlines was offering Nabisco snack products. Ritz Cheese Crackers, Oreo Cookies, and Animal Crackers...as well as the famous honey roasted peanuts! I am in love with them, because they are awesome!

    yay Kansas!


    some nice looking clouds.


    I would have gotten more pictures, but it was extremely cloudy for most of the flight. We didn't break away from the clouds until we got around the Arizona area.

    the snack service on WN! They did 2 of these, which was awesome!
    I got a couple bags of oreos, animal crackers and peanuts!


    here is a macro shot of the peanuts.


    A view once the clouds were gone.


    The Rockies


    and again.


    Over Arizona. This somewhat reminds me of Kansas, seeing all the circles on the ground! (you should know what I'm talking about if you have ever flown over MO, KS, NE or eastern CO)


    I went over to the other side of the aircraft to talk to my teacher, who was sitting about 2 rows in front of me, on the other side of the aircraft.

    I got this picture from her row.


    Now I am back at my seat, and I got this picture over AZ.


    another picture


    It was my best friend's birthday a couple days before the trip, and before the flight I talked with the flight attendant to try to arrange a toilet paper b-day cake.

    It was awesome, they made an announcement, and he was really surprised when he got this!

    The "cake" included toilet paper, luggage tags, peanuts, those heart shaped sticks, and wings!


    Cabin shot.


    Beginning our descent into the LA Area


    A view of a lake


    Approach and Landing

    The flight was unfortunately coming to an end, but I was excited to finally get to see LAX and get to Anaheim for the DECA competition, and Disneyland!

    The speed brakes being used.




    Some mountains near LAX, with the wingtip of our bird.


    Clouds as we are getting closer to the final to 25L


    The light came down.


    Flaps starting to be deployed


    On final to LAX 25L








    A view of a highway on landing


    Here are two pictures taken by my friend "G", on approach, and they were really good, so I am including them in my report.




    We came in on Runway 25 Left, which was surprising, because I thought we would land on 24 Right! But I wasn't complaining, as I was able to see more of LAX than I would have if we were on 24R.

    The landing was pretty smooth, and usual. Here is a video of the landing! Sorry again for the quality, and that some parts are missing. They are missing, because I took some pictures.


    Some UA jets, including a P.S. 757 with winglets!



    DL jets with the tower in the background


    DL with AeroMexico


    A Qantas 747! I felt pretty small taxiing next to this in a small 737!


    LAN, Qantas's 'Wanula Dreaming', and according to one of the comments I heard somebody say, "the Pepsi corporate jet"....aka Korean Air


    Some AS jets at LAX


    75th Anniversary logo jet


    Some Northwest/Delta Airbus aircraft hanging out at the gates.


    A Virgin America A319 looking cool!


    HP A319s in Terminal 1


    This was another awesome WN flight!
    Southwest Airlines is truly the best, and continues to provide amazing flights! I was really excited to go and WIN the DECA competition! I was extremely happy to be flying on Southwest for this trip, because flying WN made me extremely happy! and you can't spell "win" without WN, so I was really happy to be flying them!

    We stopped in front of gate 2, which is really small, so we had to wait a couple of minutes to be towed into the gate. After the flight I stopped by the flight deck and got some pictures in the flight deck!

    A view from gate 2


    The Qantas jet taking off


    A Southwest Airlines seat


    Some pictures from the flight deck


    Throttle Pedestal


    Some Gauges


    Disembarking the aircraft


    N761RR as seen through the jetway window


    Seen through the terminal window


    HP flight to PHX, with an A321 in the background


    We waited in the baggage claim area for around 30 minutes where we collected our luggage, and then it was off to the Hotel. We stayed at the Anaheim, Hilton...I guess it was cool.

    I will post my return trip report whenever I get the time, and here are some more pictures from LA.

    Leaving the airport.


    LAX Tower


    The CO terminal


    A UA 757


    The UA 747 Star Alliance colors!


    The iconic restaurant at LAX


    An angled view of the hotel! It was surprisingly really huge! I got lost a couple of times while I was there! lol


    The Anaheim convention center where the conference took place


    DISNEYLAND!




    Tomorrowland with the Matterhorn!

  • #2
    Pretty good so far!

    You caught a rare bird, the one in Brown Colors for WN, I can't believe I have to say it now, but it is very rare now, I believe only 15 or so birds left in the Brown Color.

    You flew N659, I flew N657!!!

    Alex
    Stop Searching. Start Traveling. southwest.com

    Comment


    • #3
      Very good report so far. Can't wait to see more in the next few days.

      Regards,

      Rohan

      Comment


      • #4
        Thank you for the update to this great trip report, nice photos and details about the flight. Several of the photos might even be database worthy, I get the feeling that your database photo total might be rising soon. Although the macro shot of the peanuts was a bit too much. I knew those things were loaded with salt, but yikes! Did Southwest give you the whole can of Coke or did you just get a cup? Southwest seems like an incredible airline, their service appears to be way superior to that of legacy carriers. Keep up the good work, Jaspreet!

        Regards,

        Rohan

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by rohank4284 View Post
          Thank you for the update to this great trip report, nice photos and details about the flight. Several of the photos might even be database worthy, I get the feeling that your database photo total might be rising soon. Although the macro shot of the peanuts was a bit too much. I knew those things were loaded with salt, but yikes! Did Southwest give you the whole can of Coke or did you just get a cup? Southwest seems like an incredible airline, their service appears to be way superior to that of legacy carriers. Keep up the good work, Jaspreet!

          Regards,

          Rohan
          Thanks for the comment!

          Their peanuts may be loaded with salt, but I still love them!

          They gave just the cup, but I was still happy with it!

          I love WN's service, and I think they are the best in the US, and I will always fly them whenever I can!

          Comment


          • #6
            the videos are added, and this half of the report is complete

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by jazzyspreetsingh View Post
              the videos are added, and this half of the report is complete
              Congratulations, Jaspreet on completing this report! It was nice to read about your experiences and I'm glad that Southwest Airlines treated you well. They look like they are miles ahead of US carriers. Great pictures and videos, I truly hope that you will try and upload some of them to the JP.net db when you chance. The toilet-paper birthday cake was an interesting idea, I have never seen one of those before. As for my above comments, I too, love Southwest's peanuts even though are a little bit salty and like how they give you so much free food and do multiple beverage runs even on short domestic sectors. Wish all airlines could be like them. I look forward to seeing the return trip.

              Regards,

              Rohan

              Comment


              • #8
                That was a great review, fun to read. Thanks also for the photos and videos, and to be honest the videos were pretty good, smooth framerates and the image quaility was not too bad at all.

                If you think MCI is not busy, you should look at OKC, where over half of the daily 75 or so departures are RJs or seasonally, turboprops (Frontier Lynx). And the largest regularly scheduled passenger plane is the M80. If we get the 757 it's only for a short time. OKC does get a lot of bizjet/bizprop traffic though so at times that makes up for the lack of airline traffic.

                WN is a good airline, no doubt about it. I had a similar experience in Aug '08 when I flew down to Austin and back, great service and very efficient.

                Comment


                • #9
                  ****** http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">****** name="ProgId" content="Word.Document">****** name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10">****** name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"> I recently done my MBA and now days I want to do some online Microsoft certifications and I Found this online notes is a best helping source to get online accurate information which is more helpful for my preparation.
                  comptia certification and network+ exam guide ccna

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Excellent trip report and some really great pictures.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Pardon my Ignorance but i thought Southwest was SW not WN ?

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X