So, I broke down this weekend and tried out the new airline, Independence Air. I couldn’t resist; their fares were low (I think I paid $120 roundtrip to get in and out of Columbus) and though Dulles isn’t the most convenient of the three airports, I DO live in Virginia so it’s not terrible. The results? One Fabulous trip, one Forgettable.
On the way out to Ohio, the plane was cozy and comfortable. Right now, they fly only regional jets, so they seat about 50 people, but the seats are all leather and they aren’t too small. My seat was near the front, so I was very close to the flight attendant, who was perky and humorous. [Incidentally, the pitchman for the airline is Dennis Miller, who gives the safety briefing over the intercom while the flight attendant shows you how to buckle up.] The pilot even came out of the cockpit to personally welcome us all and introduce himself. I couldn’t believe it. The flight was short and uneventful, and to top it all off, our chipper flight attendant ended the flight by distributing HOT WET NAPS to everyone on board. From a basket. With tongs. I mean, why hasn’t anyone thought of this before? HOT WET NAPS. Never mind that mine was blazingly hot and I nearly burned my fingers. It was still such a nice touch.
On the way home, I can’t give glowing marks. I sat in the last row on the plane–so not only can you not recline, but it feels as though you are actually leaning forward in your seat. The AC wasn’t working so well, and even the air vent above me wasn’t giving me any relief. There was a baby screaming off and on for most of the flight, and the flight attendant was not nearly as friendly and certainly didn’t pass out any wet naps.
Of course, I don’t know how much karmic energy contributes to the overall quality of any flight–outbound was a Friday night, with everyone excited in anticipation of the weekend. Homebound was Labor Day Monday, with back to work looming over most of the passengers. It’s also quite possible that I was just in an incredibly snarky mood.
Regardless, I will flyi again, if only in hopes that there will be more hot wet naps…
