San Antonio International

I headed for the Mexicana Lounge using my Priority Pass to get me access. It is a really basic and small lounge, but it had alcoholic beverage available, soft drinks and some snacks. The agent in duty was so nice to check the updated flight status time, probably also to be on the safe side, because it was after scheduled boarding time as I entered the lounge.
Anyway I left the lounge around an hour after I entered it and headed again for the gate to see if there were any newer information about the flight and rumors were that it was not even sure the flight would leave today. Not a bad decision, because at the gate was flyertalker cawhite sitting. I was not sure for the first time and looked if there were any Flyertalk luggage tag at her bag, but as I approached we recognized each other. A really pleasant and unexpected surprise at SAT. We chatted about our travel in the last days and the weather situation. As my next flight were on early next morning from ORD to IAD and with only 38 minutes in IAD I asked about the weather situation. We both chatted with the agents working at the desk about the weather delays in the past and these days. Cawhite then decided to use some of her miles to get me up in First sitting next to her. I really appreciated that, especially as this means I could taste the snack box items. Also the agents at the desk took a closer look at my itinerary and decided it would be safer to fly home out of ORD instead a very short connection in IAD. They assumed the situation in ORD would not that much better in the morning and I would probably miss my connection. So they rebooked me on the direct flight out of ORD. At this situation I did not care that much anymore about losing some thousand miles. The agents were really nice and try to help as much as possible to avoid any further problems concerning the weather situation. I really appreciated this. Cawhite told me later, that they are some airports with very good agents while other airport (e.g. Cleveland) where the agents would not do anything for you. This off course is another station were United could be proud on their staff working there. These are the agents who really are the reputation of an airline.

The flight was delay further more and now the departure time was announced with 20:50 and boarding time at 20:20. Cawhite and I chatted about some trips and an eventually planned Bali Do. At 20:25 boarding to the flight began and we were among the first to board the plane to fight for the space in the overhead bins.

25 February 2008
SAT – ORD
[San Antonio – Chicago O’Hare]
UA 6684 (United Express); Canadair 700 (N728SK)
Gate 15
17:23 – 20:05 [effective 20:45 – 23:30]
First Class
Seat 01 C

So at least on this flight I was able to sit in First Class with a fellow flyertalker in the window seat. Pre departure drinks were offered, a choice of orange juice or water.

We were pushed back around 20:45 but hat to wait on the tarmac for around 25 minutes before we were able to take off. Finally around 21:10 we accelerated on the runway and climbed into the sky.

We chatted a bit about San Antonio Area and cawhite told me it is worth a visit and a drive down to Corpus Christi. She showed me pictures, she had taken during this trip and I have to admit that I never expected this to be such a really interesting place. I will probably try to get a trip for a couple of days put into one of my next trips to the US.

Once in the air Flight attendant took order for drinks and I opted for tonic water. A little bit later the snack boxes were distributed and cawhite took a picture of it. I then tried the main snack and it had no taste at all. I eat a little bit, but then decided to skip the rest. Cawhite was amused about my face as I had the first bit of the food.

The rest of the snack box was eatable, as it were pretzels, nuts and some dip.

The flight was partly bumpy, but nothing to worry about.

As we began our final approach it became very cloudy and the clouds were really low. The lading gear was already out and still the ground was not really visible. We touched down in a snowy ORD with snow all over the airport and also there was a light snowfall. We had one of the F gate in terminal 2 and were the first leaving the plane

Cawhite told me direction to the pedestrian tunnel to the Hilton while she herself was heading to the garage.

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