OK, not really. More like flying towards the northwest on Alaska Airlines, but I like the title. I’m inflight on AS 1 now, having just departed from DCA enroute to Seattle. So far, so good with my Alaska Airlines experience. However, I erroneously reported last night that this was my first flight on Alaska Airlines. It isn’t. I once flew from Dutch Harbor to Anchorage on an Alaska Airlines 737-200 combi! I can’t believe I managed to forget about that. So we’ll call this my first routine flight on Alaska Airlines.

I’m crediting this flight to my Delta account, and as a Gold Medallion, I was offered a pre-boarding opportunity. Delta Golds are eligible for upgrades on Alaska, but alas, that wasn’t going to happen. I’m comfortably ensconced in seat 14C, and exit row aisle. It’s in the “non-reclining” aisle, but I don’t care as I rarely recline in coach anyway. The seat is quite comfortable, and the tray tables are in the seat in front of me so I have a normal seat width with makes for a much more comfortable flight than the typical Boeing exit row with the tray tables in the armrests.

I checked in online yesterday morning, and sped through TSA this morning. Boarding was easy and there was plenty of space in the overhead bins. The agents offered customers the chance to check their bags at the gate if “they weren’t needed in flight” and a lot of people went for that. Heck, I was even able to stuff my overcoat in the bin above my seat.

Well, the flight attendants are in the aisles starting service now, so I’ll close. But so far, I’m liking my flight on Alaska Airlines. And oh yeah, the Gogo inflight wi-fi helps too!