Philadelphia Day Trip American Minneapolis Philadelphia
American Airlines ran an excellent sale fare between Minneapolis and Philadelphia for $89. A friend and I took advantage of the deal and booked a day trip flying in in the morning and returning in the evening.
The trip report will include the following posts:
Philadelphia Day Trip – American Minneapolis to Philadelphia
Philadelphia Day Trip – Sightseeing in Philly
Philadelphia Day Trip – American Admiral’s Club A16 PHL
Philadelphia Day Trip – American Philadelphia to Minneapolis
Philadelphia Day Trip – American Minneapolis to Philadelphia
Date: Saturday, May 7, 2016
Flight: American 2675
From: Minneapolis – MSP
To: Philadelphia – PHL
Aircraft: 737
Seat: 4A
My flight to Philadelphia got upgraded at approximately 100-hours prior to the departure time. My friend is not an Executive Platinum member; however, American seated him in the main cabin extra section due to the fact we were traveling together. 500-mile certificates could have been used (3 per flight) to upgrade his seat; however, I only had 1 remaining in my account.
On Saturday morning I met my friend at the Minneapolis light rail park and go station, where we each bought an approximately $2 ticket to ride to the airport.
Upon arrival at the airport we proceeded to the check in area. The area was moderately busy at the time.
We both checked in using the app so we did not need to wait in line.
We proceeded to the security line. There was a medium size line for the regular line and a short line with about four people in the Pre-Check line. We joined the Pre-Check line and made it through security within five minutes.
Upon exiting the security area, we proceeded to the gate area.
The flight was assigned gate C1, which was one of Delta’s gate.
The gate sign stated that the flight was going to Indianapolis as American is not able to access Delta’s gate sign. There was a good level of confusion in the gate area and I heard several people ask each other if they were at the correct gate.
The boarding process started on time. The gate agent used a handheld cell phone-like device to scan passengers boarding passes at the gate.
We joined the line and were greeted politely by the gate agent. The gate agent scanned our boarding passes and welcomed us on the flight.
The aircraft was a 737. It was surprising because Minneapolis to Philadelphia was traditionally a US Airways route operated by 320 or 319 aircraft. American has shifted the the equipment to use one of American’s 737-800 aircraft. The flight crew was Dallas based and the aircraft used on this segment was in the old American livery.
I located my seat and noted that the first class cabin was fairly empty. All the passengers in the cabin had their own two seats so I was able to select a window or an aisle seat.
The seat was a standard first class seat with pivoting recline and a power port. The aircraft featured an overhead video screen and WiFi.
The flight attendants greeted the passengers in the cabin and I was asked if i wanted a beverage. I requested a glass of water. The flight attendant thanked me and he provided it quickly.
The boarding process was quick as it was a fairly light occupied flight in both cabins.
Once boarding was complete, the flight attendants made announcements including a safety demonstration and they prepared the cabin for take off.
There was a pretty view of the sun as the plane made it’s way to the runway.
The flight departed on time and there was a short taxi before the plane was up in the air.
Once we were at a cruising altitude, the flight attendants entered the cabin and offered a beverage.
I requested a vodka cranberry. The flight attendant said he would provide it shortly.
In addition, a flight attendant offered a hot towel at the time the drink order was taken.
The vodka cranberry was served chilled over ice. No lime wedge was provided. The drink had a good taste and flavor. The alcohol level was strong.
The flight attendant asked if I wanted breakfast. I accepted and he offered an omelet or oatmeal. I requested oatmeal.
The flight attendant thanked me and he provided a tray within one minute,
The tray included the oatmeal, a warm biscuit and a fruit plate. No milk was served with the oatmeal; however, two packets of regular white sugar were provided on the tray.
The oatmeal was served hot. The oatmeal had a good taste and flavor and it was hearty. The biscuit was served warm. It was flaky and it had an excellent taste. The fruit consisted of strawberries, pineapple and melon. The fruit was served chilled and it was sweet and had an excellent taste.
After I finished the meal, a flight attendant offered to remove the tray. The flight attendant also offered an additional drink at that time.
NBC programming was shown on the overhead video screen during the flight. The video and audio quality were good. Several different shows and segments from comedy programs were shown during the video.
I looked out the window for the majority of the flight and enjoyed the scenery. I normally sit in the aisle seat so this was a nice change having the option looking out the window.
My friend informed me that the flight attendants in the economy cabin were polite and they offered a snack selection between pretzels and Biscoff cookies during the beverage service.
Shortly before landing, the flight attendants prepared the cabin for landing and provided a mint.
The plane landed on time and then we were placed in a holding position while we waited for a gate to open up. There was about a 12-15 minute delay before reaching the gate.
Once we arrived, the door opened and the flight attendants thanked the passengers as they departed.
Summary –
Overall the flight was good. It was nice that the 737 was used on the route as the seat is more comfortable then the 319 and 320 that are typically used on the route. The flight attendants were attentive and they made the flight enjoyable.