Goin' South

We headed down to Gulfport, MS recently to catch up with some close friends who live in nearby Diamondhead.

Our journey began with a speedy check in at the #Delta Premium counter at the Raleigh Durham Airport (RDU) and a quick trip through security, thanks to TSA PreCheck. Those enrolled in this program may use specially designated TSA lanes as long as you’ve given your Trusted Traveler Number to your airline and the PreCheck designation appears on your boarding pass. You won’t have to remove your shoes or your laptop and can even walk through while wearing a light jacket. This makes your screening process much quicker and far simpler.

Check in was a breeze at the Delta Premium Counter.

The TSA PreCheck program is available at more than 200 airports with 67 participating airlines nationwide. Applicants go through a screening process, including a 10-minute, in-person appointment for fingerprinting and a background check. The enrollment interviews must be scheduled in advance but I’m happy to report there is a TSA PreCheck Enrollment Center on the Arrivals level of the #RDUAirport. You can find your nearest center by visiting tsa.gov

The TSA PreCheck office at the RDU Airport.

I would encourage all travelers to apply for PreCheck. It normally takes between 2 to 3 weeks to receive written notice after your appointment. The cost is $85 and it’s good for a 5-year period.The government never offers any discounts or promotions but many bank cards will credit your enrollment fee as a benefit of card membership so it’s worth checking to see if any of your credit cards make such an offer. TSA PreCheck is also included complimentary with your membership in Global Entry. That costs $100 for 5 years (more on that in another post).

After security, we headed straight for the Delta Sky Club. This is where I noticed that we had been bumped to coach on the connecting flight from Atlanta. The agent explained that our equipment had been downgraded from a Bombardier CRJ-900 to a CRJ-200, a one class, 50-seat jet operated by Delta Connection partner Endeavor Air. They offered us a fair refund on this 1 hour and 27 minute trip so we were satisfied with seats10A and11C. (At that point in time.)

Now, back to the #DeltaSkyClub. The one in Raleigh features plenty of space to work, relax or grab a bite to eat. Our morning departure meant that a variety of breakfast items were available, including fruit, cereal, breads, bagels, muffins with jams and scrambled eggs, juices as well as coffee or tea. The Club also features an attended, fully stocked bar if that’s how you wish to start your day

The beautiful bar at the RDU Delta Sky Club.

The B737-900 flight to Atlanta took off on time and we even arrived early which made me happy because our connection time was under one hour. It was considered a legal connection but anyone who knows Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, knows that it could take you almost that long to get from Concourse A to Concourse E!

Unfortunately, this flight was delayed for one hour and that’s when things started to get interesting. We stopped by the Sky Club after arriving on Concourse A and found it to be well appointed with some good lunch offerings. This one featured 2 levels with plenty of space to get comfortable, catch up on some work and recharge our devices.

The stylish Sky Club on Concourse A in ATL.

We soon took the Plane Train over to Concourse D only to find our flight to Gulfport was delayed yet again. After waiting at the gate for a very long time and seeing the agent leave his post, we decided to visit the only nearby Sky Club in Concourse D. That one was a disappointment - way too small and very crowded with one unisex bathroom and a line of folks waiting to use those facilities. Since the only available seats were next to this restroom, we didn't go for any snacks.

Finally our aircraft showed up from nearby Columbus. This was a very small commercial aircraft and packed so tight it was very nearly claustrophobic. The pilot told us there was some bad weather near Gulfport and he did a fine job of skirting the storms so we enjoyed smooth skies, albeit with some extra flying time.

There was virtually NO legroom on that crowded CRJ-200.

On landing we greeted our friends who had patiently waited over two hours for our arrival. My post that follows will tell you all about the beautiful Gulf Coast.

Until next time…safe travels.