dawn takeoff - logan airport
Extract from travelling log, posted from a Marriott hotel in London, Saturday the 10th:-
“I’m typing this sitting at the back of a Delta airlines 737 stuck at Boston’s Logan airport, very late on a Friday night. Its now 8:40, we were supposed to take off for JFK at 8:00, but the Captain is telling us that its another hour before New York ATC will let us even start our engines. Yesterday morning I stood at the quayside of Boston Harbour, across the water, taking this shot of early morning flights leaving a Logan airport bathed in this early morning gloaming. I bet they all left on time.
So a hassle, but not the end of the world, as I have Saturday Morning flight back to the UK, arriving at Heathrow Saturday evening, so another night in an airport Hotel, and then home. So just another late arrival at a anonymous hotel and then an other early start. Hopefully then home for a few weeks, as nothing is planned – apart from a short trip to Copenhagen – until Christmas.
Flying within the USA is a bit weird, in fact this trip is the first time that I’ve done it. Airports are bigger than Europe, and a lot less crowded, but packed with all sorts of US bars, restaurants and “places to eat and drink”. Service is quick and efficient, but quite different from the other side of the pond, in a strange indefinable sort of way. Better than Gatwick or Heathrow – in fact much better.
Being stuck on a Delta flight is fascinating. The flight attendants are all – well – quite matronly, and all have lots of big big blond hair. (they are Atlanta based I think, so think Dolly Parton, in fact lots of Dolly Parton’s…..). They are a strange mixture of chatty informality, and hectoring strictness, sometimes at the same time. Their average age (and body mass index) is a bit higher than you would find in Europe.
The pilot (an elderly gentleman, with a touch of Col Saunders in his looks and manners) is quite vexed about the delay, and is wandering about the aircraft with a cell phone clamped to his ear, alternatively chatting to the passengers, and chasing the air traffic staff at JFK. Not something you would see on a BA flight, where its all ex RAF stiff upper lip.
We got there in the end to a very wet and misty JFK, albeit 90 mins late. The glamour of jet travel.”
