Pre-Flight/At the Airport
My 46 hours in a very chilly Kansas City came to an end, and it was time to head back home. Since WN seemed to have scrapped their evening departure to DCA, flying back into BWI was my only option if I wanted to have more time in the city itself. The person I was staying with dropped me off at MCI at around 2:30 and I headed into the terminal, which is not that new anymore but still maybe one of the most impressive ones in the US. Since I wasn't checking any bags, I headed right to security, which took about 10 minutes to get through but I got patted down after going through the body scanner since I didn't remove my hoodie. I didn't get this treatment back at DCA despite also wearing a hoodie then, but nonetheless it was quick and I was airside with about an hour until departure.
My plane was early for all of its previous flights (ABQ-IAH-ATL-MCI), so I just grabbed some and watched MLS Cup on my iPad at my gate. The action was picking up in the WN section of the airport, but the area around my gate remained relatively quiet after the previous flight to OAK departed, so I was hoping that it would stay that way once boarding time came. Sure enough, it did–once our plane arrived from ATL, our gate agent got on the mic and said that only 72/170 seats would be occupied on the flight–a load factor of just about 40%. I had a hunch it would be relatively empty since I didn't check in right at 4:20 the day before but still got A44, and I started to look forward to this flight. Boarding was a breeze, and I went directly to 26F, since the right side of the plane is best for the approach into BWI when it comes to views of the Chesapeake Bay, as we'd see later in the flight. I had the entire row all to myself, and boarding was completed very quickly and we were soon off the gate and into the air.
Missouri River
Departures curb at MCI
Easily one of my favorite terminals in the US
Immediate post-security views
E75L headed back to base at IAH and 738 headed back to base at ORD
I love the saxophones hanging from the ceiling, a nod to KC’s jazz heritage
Max 8 departing for OAK
Thanks to MCI’s fast wifi I can catch MLS Cup
N8531Q, an 8-year-old 737-800 that just came from ATL to take me home
AA A321 headed to DFW
Poor man’s first class
Jet Midwest—see that ex-Air India 747
The Flight
Above the clouds, it got super pretty out and we had a really nice sunset for the first 30-45 minutes of the flight or so, but it quickly got dark outside. However, it got clear as we crossed into Illinois and I got some great views of the Ohio Valley area. The flight attendants got right to work with the drink/snack service, and I went with a cranberry juice and hot chocolate, the latter of which the FA actually prepared for me in the galley, unlike on my outbound flight. I was able to use the middle tray table for my iPad to watch some college football, and the one in front of me for my snack and drinks and it was a very comfortable ride. WN's stream-to-your-device entertainment isn't as expansive as its legacy counterparts, but if there's a big game happening during your flight, you'll be able to watch it. Just be sure to have your devices charged as only USB outlets are available on the refreshed cabins.
Crossing the Missouri River
It got super nice above the clouds
Snack/drink service and college football
The Mighty Mississippi just north of St. Louis
Effingham, IL lit up down below
Terre Haute, IN, birthplace of Eugene V. Debs
We went basically parallel to I-70 for most of the flight, and right near Frederick, MD, we made a turn north of Baltimore, and I got great views of the city from the sky. Our approach was basically a 270 degree turn from the flight path, but the moon was so bright and it was a clear evening so we got an amazing reflection off the Chesapeake bay as we began our final descent over Annapolis. The go-around had added a few minutes to our travel time, as we were now scheduled to arrive more or at our scheduled arrival time, but we had taken the scenic route and since my scheduled train wasn't for another hour and a half, I had plenty of time to spare.
Frederick, MD through some clouds
Looking down at northern Montgomery County, MD
Northwest suburbs of Baltimore
Route 1 and MD-147 heading towards Baltimore
Looking west into downtown Baltimore
Brewerton Channel leading into the city
United States Naval Academy
Amazing moon and reflection over the Chesapeake Bay
Another Max 8 going to CMH (hence why I saw a guy in an Ohio St football jersey sprinting through the terminal)
Post-flight
We pulled onto the stand basically right at our scheduled arrival time, and deboarding was quick and easy. The terminal was buzzing with WN's late departure bank out of BWI, as our plane was headed to SDF right after with a different flight number. BWI's design makes it so that you are never very far from the curb, and since I had no checked bags to retrieve, I was able to head right downstairs. They are making some improvements to BWI's terminals, however, so there may be some construction remnants depending on where you arrive. The shuttle to the rail station goes from each terminal and the pick-up spot is clearly marked (as is the pick-up zones for the other forms of ground transportation). I was the only person who got on at any of the terminals, and it's only about a 5-minute drive to the station.
The rail station at BWI consists of a very small waiting area which has very hard seats and is made of concrete, and I was worried I'd have to spend an hour there, but some quick thinking saved me–I was able to go to the kiosk and change my ticket to a southbound Amtrak train which was departing three minutes later for just $4 more. I would have been stuck there for another hour. After sprinting on the bridge over the tracks to the southbound platform, I made it onto the train to Union Station and I was on the Metro train home shortly after, getting there at 9:45 when I would have still been on the train that I had booked originally.
No time for that tonight I’m afraid
Train foamers, here you go
