Mileage Run to FLL

DCA-FLL-PHL-DCA

Earlier this week I did a mileage run on US Airways to Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  The reason for this mileage run was to achieve Star Alliance Gold status on Aegean Airlines before a bunch of upcoming mileage runs I was talking, so I could utilize the free lounge access.  Unfortunately, this didn't exactly work out as I will specify in my next trip report.  


I arrived at DCA fairly early, and noticed the following sign:

I hadn't been to DCA for a few months, and was happy to find out that both DCA and IAD now have free WiFi.  It was pretty fast too.  

As I was boarding my first flight to FLL, the pilot walked by humming a tune.  He was a really friendly pilot.  He passed by a baggage handler and said in an enthusiastic voice, "HEY! How are you doing today, my friend!"  The baggage handler just kind of grunted with a look on his face of "don't freaking talk to me, it's too damn early".

The plane was an Airbus 319 and it was almost empty, which was really nice.  I got a whole row to myself.  The flight went by really quickly.  I really wanted to go visit Ft. Lauderdale, as I have family there, but unfortunately there was no time.    

View of FLL in the distance

When we landed at FLL, I headed over to grab some food.  I got a pre-packaged salad that was pretty decent even though it had probably been sitting there for 2 weeks.

Mmmm...expired airport food

While I was sitting there eating my salad, the flight attendant from my flight came over and sat down next to me so he could charge his phone.  He said, "Hey, you were on my flight?"  I replied with somewhat of startled grunt much like the baggage handler earlier that morning.  He continued to talk asking, "So why are you still in the airport?  Where would you be connecting to from FLL?  The Caribbean?"  I just kind of stared at him not knowing what to stay.  I didn't really want to say I was headed to Philadelphia because then he'd think I was a terrorist scoping out airports or something.  I just basically mumbled some stuff like a homeless person and eventually he left me alone.

I boarded my next flight to Philadelphia which was also practically empty.  The flight went by fairly slowly as I sat there mindlessly staring at my stat textbook.  Doing homework is challenging.

Descent into PHL

Philadelphia skyline 

When I landed at PHL, I had to walk really far and then take a bus to a new terminal they're doing construction on.  I boarded the 20 minute flight from PHL to DCA which was very crowded.  I arrived back in DC happy to be home.

Back in DC