MSP to PHX: Frontier Airlines v. US Airways

I go back and forth to Phoenix too much. By too much I mean way too much: I miss my dog and missing my family on either end of the trip. That being said I've taken just about every carrier back and forth with the exception of those that do more local routes. And I've just about had enough of crummy customer service...and happily I'd like to share some exemplary experiences along the way.

This last trip, I took Frontier Airlines on the way down, with a layover in Denver. On the way back I took US Airways non-stop. This gave me the ability to very easily compare and contrast the two journeys and I'd love to get us to begin a dialogue about our own experiences so that we might better understand which carriers work best for our situation.

Frontier:

• Leather seating in all classes
• Efficient, perfunctory operating airline attendants
• Efficient layover, easy hub airport to nav
• Seats normal size and legroom also normal size. I was in 18a and 14a for each leg and it was just eh. Normal. I always get window because then I can lean against the window since I'm not aggressive enough to fight for my space like you have to in the aisle seat.
• Bonus: I do like that the jets are referred to by their tail animals, it's a cute addition even though I couldn't tell you what animals I had after the fact.
• On time.

Overall impression: Economy operator, customer service far from exemplary but obviously trained in efficiency.

US Airways:

• Leather seating in all classes
• A321 refurbished and the legroom was extraordinary. From what I overheard a flight attendant telling another passenger, this was one of the first flights this particular jet had been on since refurb and it showed. The regular seats I was in 10A so exit row and it was of course even better. Bonus: unlike other carriers, I didn't have to pay extra for exit row.
• Flight attendants....wow. I can't say I had any particular need of them, or there was anything specific where they went beyond the call of duty but that was what made the deal for me. They were just so sincerely happy to be there. That fake 'Hi,' 'Welcome,' 'I'm not really Southern but affecting the accent makes me seem more nice," really get on my nerves. These people were so very...happy. My kind of people. I watched them happily most of the while we were in the air (I had already finished my books and the battery on my lappy was misbehaving and I'm trying to give up my iPhone games addiction.) and they liked working with one another and their jobs. Absolutely highest marks.
• On time.

Overall impression: Airline of preference for the MSP-PHX route and maintained that position with this week's experience. I'd love to shake the hand of either their customer service training team or the individuals who consult for them.

What routes do you fly? I'm sick of poor customer service and never being on time (yes I mean you, Continental) and think I speak for all of us with that. Let's use the internet to collectivize our experiences and make sure to give our business in these trying times to companies that live up to our expectations instead of let us down!

Mixed Vintages, Single Vantage

We went on Thursday in celebration of a birthday as well as my possibly having some fabulous personal news (TBA at a later date) to Armitage in DC Ranch. I had been there before and chosen a 'safe' Malbec that I already knew I liked so was willing to come back and be a bit more adventurous this time.

Among our group we tried:

2 flights of bubbles

1 'worldly reds'

1 'fun whites'

We started off with the Ahi Tuna Carpaccio...meh. The Ahi was fantab but absolutely drowned in their sauce so the inherent (very strong) flavors were overwhelmed. So meh. But really it could have been worse, they started off with great ingredients so even overdone it was still totally lovely. Let's say 6-7/10.

At this point we got our wine flights...and the presentation on the customary wooden boards was completely nice. They numbered them (not a novel concept but totally useful) so obviously were accustomed to having a large volume of patrons doing flights at the same time. I approve.

The flights themselves...the bubbles were nice but nothing really novel. But fun for a night out with your friends. Sort of like roast beef with vegetables...you have to do something really horrible to make it go wrong, but by the same token you aren't going to have done something memorable without reinventing with a crazy twist or offering something like a Kobe roast. They hit the target but that's about it.

Next we'll go on to the 'worldly reds,' and I'd like to point out that despite everyone's assumption, this was not my flight. I did try all of it though of course, as any friend of mine well knows wine is meant for sharing. Yours is mine and all that. The tempranillo that started it off tasted off, the French Côtes du Rhone that followed was completely uninteresting but at least I have hope that had it either aged or opened more there might have been some delicate beauty. The malbec that finished...bleah. Yes, you heard me, I said bleah. I love malbecs. I am even gentle with their critique because so often the vintner is still learning but there is a lot of hope. This one...I really have little to say other than bleah it had a green tasting overtone and I don't mean in the nice white wine way. I mean in a taste that made me think of moldy logs in the forest and the strange green smell of a marsh. No thank you.

Now I, I chose the 'fun whites' flight for one reason and one reason only: I was feeling nostalgic. During grad school in Oz I discovered Brown Brothers Winery and their Orange Muscat and Flora. Up until we made each other's acquaintance, I found most muscat/moscato to be just too cloyingly sweet. I had a similar experience once upon a time with ports. Then I found Brown Brother's version and fell in love. Fabulous sipping on a hot day or snuggling in on a romantic evening or writing a dissertation in the hot tub. Yes I did just say that. So the muscat involved was quite solid but surprisingly so were its friends, the pinot gris showing a lot of character for such a light wine and the blend really I would have preferred paired with a more robust meal to showcase...my salad just didn't do it justice.

All in all, Armitage is what it purports to be: a decent wine bar with surprisingly decent prices for the area that also has nibbles. Wait staff is a bit snooty as one would expect but at least schooled well in serving.

...oh and the picture? Plum wine on the patio.

Rhiannon Blog Reloaded

Up until this point my blog has been very generalized. My thoughts, my comments, places I like and don't like etc. But no purpose or specificity to content other than whatever's been in my head at that moment. This will change from this point forward.

My blog will now serve as a forum for these topics fairly exclusively:

• Travel - Airlines, restaurants, and other service industry professionals that perform...and those that don't. Places that catch the imagination and what is special or repulsive there.
• Millenial perspective armchair philosophy.
• Living the good life - Working within your budget to enjoy the wines, music, furry friends and comfortable surroundings that are important to us.

This divergence is in large part a response to my reprioritizing my perspectives and parts of my life. I want to help myself and therefore help my friends live a better, more wholly examined life...furthering my path toward self-actualization and along the way having great memories is what is important to me.

Please as always feel free to respond with your thoughts...hopes and dreams and happies and dislikes. If there is anyplace in the world where we can express our thoughts as equals it is on the web.

Happy discussing!

-Rhiannon