Viva Las BAcon: AA55 Chicago O’Hare to Las Vegas McCarran

Viva Las BAcon! AA55 Chicago O’Hare to Las Vegas McCarran

Trip Report Index (it’s long):

• Viva Las BACon! The second spin of the roulette wheel
• Heading to Birmingham Airport, EI277 Birmingham Airport – Dublin Airport
• HOTEL: Bewleys Hotel, Dublin Airport
• The DAA Lounge, Dublin Airport
  
• BA831 Dublin Airport – London Heathrow Terminal 1
• An Easy Heathrow Transit and the British Airways Galleries First Lounge
• BA295 London Heathrow Terminal 5 to Chicago O’Hare International
• Tick Tock, Tick Tock – an express connection in Chicago
• AA55 Chicago O’Hare International T3 to Las Vegas McCarran International
• HOTEL: MGM Grand
• HOTEL: Mandalay Bay and BAcon
• One Time Exception: The High Roller
• HOTEL: Luxor
• One Time Exception: A Nighttime walk down an every changing strip
• Back to McCarran Airport, The American Express Centurion Lounge
• AA1239 Las Vegas McCarran International – Dallas Fort Worth
• A quick rush across Dallas Fort Worth
• AA78 Dallas Fort Worth – London Heathrow Terminal 3
• Transit again, The British Airways Terminal 1 Domestic Lounge
• BA831 London Heathrow Terminal 1 – Dublin Airport
• Irish Transit, The Aer Lingus Gold Circle Lounge
• EI276 Dublin Airport to Birmingham Airport
• Another lovely slice of BAcon

AA55 Chicago O’Hare International T3 to Las Vegas McCarran International
American Airlines
Seat 8A, Main Cabin Extra, Boeing 737-800
1,514 miles flown, 1,514+1,514 Avios earned, 10 Tier Points Earned

The pictures:

• http://www.photoblog.com/kevincm/2014/09/21/american-airlines-55-chicago-to-las-vegas-1.html
• http://www.photoblog.com/kevincm/2014/09/22/american-airlines-55-chicago-to-las-vegas-2.html

Almost out of breath, I made it aboard the AA flight to Chicago, and headed down the plane to Row 8 – my home for this fight. And being late for boarding meant that finding overhead luggage room was a right royal pain.

The more things change.

Rather than holding the entire plane from boarding, I chucked my bags in the first available bin, and sat down (I’d spend some time sorting bags to the bin later on in flight).

That done and dusted, it’s time to have a look at the 737-800 – and it’s quiet new. Whilst in the olde AA colours, this bird was fitted with the Boeing Sky Interior for the 737.

Or to the rest of us who don’t pay attention to the Boeing product catalogue, it has pivot style luggage bins, sculpted roof, 787 air blowers and LED lighting

Main Cabin Extra seating (taken later during flight).

Air vents. They look like propellers.

Sculpted bins, LED lighting? It’s got to be a Boeing Sky Interior .

Boarding finished up aboard 10 minutes after I boarded – showing that I had timed the connection pretty well.

Legroom on this 737… well, there’s a bulkhead. It’s not bad, but does cram in a tiny bit.

Bulkhead legroom

Soon enough taxi begun, and we were off and running. Except, we weren’t. As we taxied to the runway, the winds changed, so a gaggle of planes had to taxi back and forth until they were all in the right position – adding more time onto the trip.

However, soon enough, we were in the sky thanks to the engines onboard the 737.

Resting long haul planes – the 747 I was aboard in the middle.

Climbing out

Bright clouds.

Whilst climb out was quick, there was a fair olde wait for the seat belt sign to be turned off. Whilst there was plenty of time to read the menu… and not partake.

Although I do like these new announcement screens.

Being that I hadn’t had a chance to grab a bottle of water down-route, I went for the Diet Coke break.

Diet Coke break!

Sadly, a bulkhead seat isn’t a great place to put a GhettoIFE unit – so instead, I feature an iPhone 5 with a nasty chip on the screen.

(and yes, I have an iPhone 6 now. It doesn’t bend)

And outside, the countryside of the United States of America rolled past.

Life below.

Airport below. Not sure which one though…

The patchwork of countryside continued to change, with ridges, mountains and canyons appearing.

Cabin crew were friendly, doing two drinks rounds (and an extra request for more liquids was met with happily).

With canyons starting to form on the ground below, I guessed we were beginning to close in on our destination

Soon enough the message that we were coming in to land came up, and it was time to buckle up the cabin, reorganise my bags in the overhead lockers (so they were 1) reachable after landing and 2) wouldn’t fall out.

With that it was time to sit down and watch the pilot do his job as we came into land at Las Vegas Airport

Unusually (for me), I was sat on the left side of the plane – so there would be no view of the Strip for me as we came into land. Instead – I got something I thought that was better, The Hoover Dam

The mountains, canyons and desert were soon replaced with urban sprawl with the pilot bringing the 737 to land.

Pretty much on time, we hit the tarmac at McCarran Airport, ending an exhausting trip.

After landing, it was a quick taxi around the McCarran Airport complex, and over to the D Gates

The South End of the Strip… I’d be decamping to three hotels in this picture.

After the plane completed its taxi to the American Airlines end of the D terminal, it was time to disembark and head into the wonder that is Fabulous Las Vegas…

Overall: The new interior 737s aren’t bad in the least. The seating was acceptable for a medium haul flight (with the bulkhead helping). Service was “acceptable” with not much outstanding on this leg. Could had been worse, could had been better… as a DFW crew will prove in a few posts time.

Next: The joy of shuttle buses, and the MGM Grand

It’s all change next week as GhettoIFE becomes Economy Class and Beyond! Follow me on Twitter at @EconomyBeyond for the latest updates!

Also remember that as well as being part of BoardingArea, we’re also part of BoardingArea.eu, delivering frequent flyer news, miles and points to European readers!