I put myself down for teaching a class in Salt Lake City the week after the Super Bowl, because I didn't want to incur the wrath of the thing on high by opting to stay home to see the Saints play in the game. That's mojo I don't need. Of course, it worked out that I was at Armstrong at the crack of dawn to fly away from the best place on earth for at least that day.
Flights from MSY to SLC vanished after the storm, a combination of lack of demand and the cutbacks resulting from Delta's bankruptcy filing. The re-building of both the city and the airline has brought westward flights back to New Orleans. I was getting well and truly tired of flying an hour east, then adding that hour onto the westbound flight. Traffic going west is still low, so Delta is using their Bombardier CRJ-900s, flown by SkyWest, for the SLC runs. In spite of the small planes, I usually get upgraded going to SLC; yes, the CRJ-900 has four rows of three-across first class seats. ( Click Here to view the cabin.) I prefer the "A" seat, which is a single. The overhead bins are still small, so most folks have to gate-check their roll-aboard bags. My backpack fits just fine, however.
SkyWest service used to be iffy, particularly in the busy days prior to 9/11, when the Delta Connection carrier ran a lot of prop planes out of SLC to a number of smaller western airports. The hustle-bustle created a lot of stress and testy cabin crews. These days, things are a bit leisurely, and it looks like only the first string flight attendants get the gigs. It's nice to see a smile on the FA's face when I get my glass of wine.
The flight to SLC is usually uneventful, until you hit the mountains just before the Great Salt Lake. Descent can be a bit bumpy on occasion. This flight was just fine, however. As a hub airport, SLC isn't bad. Transfer from one concourse to another is via moving walkway, and it's not terrible to get around. The SkyClub is roomy and spacious, as you'd expect from a hub.
My return flight was Friday evening. I was fascinated when I checked-in online on Thursday evening when Delta.com gave me the option to send my boarding documents to my phone. Huh? My phone? I've seen such a thing in Europe, where you can SMS-message an order for a bus or trolley ticket in some cities to your phone, then present the on-screen barcode to the scanner on the bus. But for a flight where I have to get past TSA? Hey, what the heck, I figured I can always print when I got to the airport the next day. So, I chose the mobile option and was texted a link to a web page. The page showed my boarding pass with a barcode:
Still skeptical, I made sure my phone was charged up and headed to the airport after lunch. Not knowing what to do, I went to the check-in kiosk like normal and tried to get it to scan that barcode from my phone. The gal babysitting the kiosks saw what I was trying to do and sent me straight to baggage drop. I jokingly told the gate agent I didn't believe TSA was going to let me through with my phone, but she said it was OK.
Upstairs to the security check I went. I handed my drivers' license and phone to the TSA officer. She scanned my phone, reviewed the link on what looked like a customized palm device, and let me go through. At the SkyClub, and at the gate, all I did was hand over my phone, and in I went to both. Wow!
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