American Airlines Minneapolis DC
This article is American Airlines Minneapolis DC. It is an overview of my experience flying American Airlines from Minneapolis to Washington DC.
The Minneapolis to Washington flight is part of my New England Road Trip.
Trip Summary
Date: April 26, 2018
Flight: American Airlines 4635
From: Minneapolis – MSP
To: Washington DC – DCA
Aircraft: E175
Seat: 12C
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Booking
I booked my American Airlines Minneapolis DC flight as part of my wife and my New England Road trip using cash for $249. We used Providence as a starting point for the road trip.
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Airport Experience
My wife and I decided to check a bag for the flight since we would be gone for a few days.
We arrived at the airport about an hour and a half before departure for the flight to Washington DC.
The American Airlines check in area was busy with activity upon our arrival.
I utilized a kiosk to check a bag.
I currently do not have status on American; however, thanks to my Citi American Airlines Credit Card, I can check a bag for free. Check out current travel credit card offers in my credit card marketplace.
After self tagging the bag, I joined the bag drop line and was assisted by an agent within two minutes.
The agent provided information on the departure gate and he wished me a good day. He also noted that it was a shared gate with Delta in the D gate area.
My wife and I both have CLEAR, which allows us to bypass the TSA identification check.
The normal Pre-Check line was about a 10 minute wait.
My wife and I proceeded to the CLEAR line and found no one else waiting.
After using the kiosk to verify our identity, we had to scan our boarding passes an additional time for the TSA agent before we were invited in the line.
Despite this extra boarding pass scan, we still cleared security within five minutes.
Gate Area
The American Airlines Minneapolis DCA flight departed from a Delta Gate in the D area.
American uses signs to indicate where the flight is going since the monitors are Delta’s.
The signs are an improvement over the past, as the city is now displayed rather than American Airlines.
The gate area was light with activity.
Boarding began at the scheduled time and we joined the line when our group was called.
The gate agent scanned our boarding passes and welcomed us on the flight.
We made our way onto the airplane and the located our seat.
Boarding continued for about 20 minutes. The door was closed on time, and then the plane pushed back but there was a lengthy taxi.
Once we reached the runway, the engines revved and the plane went up in the air.
I snapped a couple pics during take-off.
Seat
The aircraft was an E175 regional jet which offers 2-2 seating in the economy cabin.
The aircraft features WiFi entertainment but no power ports.
The seats were slimline economy seats.
Our seats in row 12 were in the Main Cabin Extra section. Normally, American Airlines charges for these seats; however, with most flights, the entire cabin is empty until boarding, and then the gate agents assign those without seats into the seats at no charge.
When booking the flight, all the free seats were taken and the paid seats were all open.
Keep that in mind when you book your next flight to save money as you will likely get one of the main cabin extra seats for free.
In Flight Experience
Once the airplane reached a cruising altitude on American Airlines Minneapolis DCA, the flight attendants prepared for service.
When the flight attendants reached our seat, they offered a beverage and a complimentary or for purchase snack.
The flight attendant was polite.
I ordered a Coca-Cola and the Biscoff cookies.
The beverage was served promptly.
The Coca-Cola and the cookies were fresh.
The flight attendants picked up the used items about 20 minutes after serving.
I used my laptop during the flight.
Landing
The flight from Minneapolis to Washington DC is quick as it is just over two hours.
Soon enough, the cabin was prepared for landing.
The plane landed on time.
I snapped a few pictures as we approached Washington.
Once we were on the ground, there was a short taxi to a gate.
The flight attendants thanked us as we departed the plane.
The flight arrived ahead of schedule.
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Overall
My American Airlines Minneapolis DCA flight was uneventful. The flight attendants were polite and the seat was comfortable. The flight went by quickly and it was good overall.