With the Cranky Community Awards solely a month away, we’re deep in planning with our presenting sponsor Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport. I needed to do a day journey to Phoenix to do some filming with them, and I used to be excited to see that American’s flight instances match my wants completely. Why was I excited? With American’s announcement it should depart Lengthy Seaside on the finish of February, this was in all probability my final probability to fly the airline on a route that I’ve flown many instances during the last 2+ a long time, courting again to my America West days.
How did it go? This was a textbook Mesa type of flight, and it’s one thing I gained’t miss. A minimum of it was on time, however these interiors are simply… not good. Prepare, United fliers.
We had a movie crew set to be on the airport from 10am to 2pm, in order that meant I may take the primary flight out within the morning on Mesa which might put me in simply after 9, after which I’d take the three:45pm again. It was just below $300 for the roundtrip booked one week out, however I had a credit score on file to cowl a lot of the price.
Because it was a day journey, I used to be in a position to depart house an hour earlier than departure, drive myself over and park on the road simply throughout from the airport. I had a pleasant brisk morning stroll in and noticed that the terminal was feeling fairly blue that day because it continues to bear renovation.
The safety line appeared longer for TSA Precheck than the common line, however that was misleading because the common line was inside whereas the Precheck line was outdoors. I acquired within the Precheck line and it took about 5 minutes to cruise by means of earlier than heading over to gate 3.
Sitting on the gate was our chariot, an almost 19-year outdated plane that has been repainted in Mesa’s home colours: white with a black tail.
There’s nothing fairly like that first flight within the morning out of Lengthy Seaside. American annoyingly schedules it for six:50am despite the fact that departures can’t occur till 7am with the noise limits. Inevitably, these flights board up early, they push again early, after which we sit. That’s precisely what occurred on this journey.
I boarded when my group was known as, and seen the light title of a upkeep supervisor on the nostril. If he’s answerable for paint, he clearly hasn’t been doing his job.
Onboard, I took my seat manner on the again. This was a Mesa type of airplane.
American 5854 operated by Mesa
January 18, 2023
From Lengthy Seaside
➤ Scheduled Departure: 650a
➤ Precise Departure: 642a
➤ From Gate: 3
➤ Wheels Up: 708a
➤ From Runway: 30
To Phoenix
➤ Wheels Down: 903a
➤ On Runway: 7R
➤ Scheduled Arrival: 915a
➤ Precise Arrival: 913a
➤ At Gate: B2
Plane
➤ Sort: Mitsubishi CRJ-900ER
➤ Delivered: April 22, 2004
➤ Registered: N920FJ, msn 15020
➤ Livery: Mesa Black Tail
Flight
➤ Cabin: Coach in Seat 18A
➤ Load: ~65% Full
➤ Flight Time: 55m
The seats had been uncomfortable and appeared to have worn out their padding.
There have been scuff marks and cracks all around the sidewall and seatback. I do know it’s not unsafe, however it simply appears to be like like it’s. It’s fairly disgusting inside.
We did push again 8 minutes early and acquired to the runway threshold 10 minutes earlier than 7. We waited. Apparently there was a further movement management delay, so we needed to wait just a few extra minutes to depart. In the meantime, folks simply determined to stand up and wander again to the lav, as if they’d by no means been on an airplane earlier than. The joke was on them… the again lav was damaged anyway.
The flight attendant firmly however politely advised everybody to sit down down. We had been airborne at 7:08am.
It was a pleasant day to fly, however sadly it was considerably hazy round so the views weren’t pretty much as good as I’d hoped. Nonetheless, I did get some good pictures of the mountains stuffed with snow.
The flight attendants got here by means of with a drink service, and I had water. Additionally they handed out the customary Biscoff. I opened my tray desk to place the water down, and nicely, it was not in nice form.
One facet fell down a lot additional than the opposite, and it was not secure, so should you put any weight, it pushed it down into your lap.
As regular, we landed to the east on a straight-in method and I watched our awards venue go by, simply throughout the road from the world.
We did should do some lengthy taxiing across the airport, and we blocked in at 9:13am, two minutes early.
I used to be off to romp by means of the airport with the movie crew. I by no means left the airport itself, however I did should undergo safety a pair instances, in order that was enjoyable. Oh, and picture going by means of safety carrying this costume…
Our filming schedule required a complete lot of issues to go proper, and by some means all of them did. We completed up on the rental automobile middle, so I took the prepare again to Terminal 4, and I used to be on the safety line nearly an hour earlier than departure again house. Excellent timing.
This airplane was a VERY barely newer classic, a couple of 12 months youthful. It was, not less than, nonetheless painted in American colours, however I did see not less than one plane that day which was all grey in American’s base colour and had no markings. I assume they’re simply slowly making ready to flip these to United, and I’ve little doubt that the interiors won’t be touched. That’s Denver and Houston’s drawback now.
The airport was fairly quiet — not a shock because it’s a Wednesday in January — so I grabbed a seat and waited to be known as to board. It was not lengthy earlier than I headed down the jet bridge.
American 5748 operated by Mesa
January 18, 2023
From Phoenix
➤ Scheduled Departure: 345p
➤ Precise Departure: 341p
➤ From Gate: B20
➤ Wheels Up: 354p
➤ From Runway: 25R
To Lengthy Seaside
➤ Wheels Down: 354p
➤ On Runway: 30
➤ Scheduled Arrival: 411p
➤ Precise Arrival: 358p
➤ At Gate: 3
Plane
➤ Sort: Mitsubishi CRJ-900ER
➤ Delivered: January 31, 2005
➤ Registered: N928LR, msn 15028
➤ Livery: Ugly Flag Tail
Flight
➤ Cabin: Coach in Seat 11A
➤ Load: ~65% Full
➤ Flight Time: 1h
As I boarded, one of many flight attendants was complaining to the opposite about how she didn’t like being in Billings for a layover. I walked on simply as she mentioned it, and I couldn’t resist, saying “nicely, you’ll have a complete new listing of cities to put over in quickly.” As I walked again to my seat, I may hear her saying “all people else appears to know extra about it than we do. Some United flight attendant mentioned we’re going to all fly 5am flights as much as San Francisco.” She appeared a bit of overwhelmed by the change.
I used to be additional ahead on this flight which made an enormous distinction when it comes to the noise. The inside nonetheless had the standard Mesa scuffs, however it appeared to be in barely higher form. There was a bit of extra padding within the seats this time, they usually appeared higher, not less than.
We pushed again early and made our option to the south facet to depart, as regular. As on the way in which out, the flight was easy however once more the seat belt signal by no means went off.
The flight attendants got here by means of a pair instances, as soon as with drinks and one other earlier than touchdown to inform everybody to convey their seats to their upright and locked place. There have been quite a lot of confused faces after they did that, as a result of many of those seats clearly appeared to have self-reclined, mine included.
Although we had been in excessive clouds for a lot of this journey, we started descending early sufficient for me to snap this lovely shot of Mt San Jacinto, house to Idyllwild and higher identified to many as that big mountain to which you’ll go to by taking a tram from Palm Springs to the highest.
As we descended over Orange County, I simply saved enthusiastic about all of the instances I’d flown American, US Airways, and America West between these two airports. This actually is the tip of an period for me.
Virtually, the lack of American doesn’t imply all that a lot. I hardly ever discovered a connecting choice from Lengthy Seaside by way of Phoenix that made extra sense than going as much as LA and flying nonstop. And now that Southwest is out there with greater frequency and usually decrease fares, I seemingly gained’t miss it a lot.
However as we glided to a easy touchdown on runway 30, I nonetheless couldn’t assist however really feel nostalgic. I gained’t miss these Mesa interiors in any respect, however I’ll miss seeing the ghosts of America West at my hometown airport.