Travel Thursday Reflections

Flight Route WN2328
April 30, 2026

 Chris and I were up early this morning, 5:15 AM, to catch a 6:15 AM Uber to the airport for our 8:20 AM flight to West Palm Beach and home. Like most nights before a trip, we did not sleep very well even though we had enjoyed a marvelous evening with Patrick, Jen and Beck. 

The Uber was on time, which was very nice. It was about 50 degrees when we got into the car for the ride to the airport. 

BWI was a mess, well, I should say Southwest at BWI was a mess. It took us over 30 minutes to get our bags checked and processed. Lots of people were flying. The counter was understaffed. Proceeding to the concourse, the TSA-pre line was longer than the non-TSA-pre line, but moved fairly quickly due to some apparently newly deployed equipment that processes people faster. 

Although we enjoyed an on-time take-off, the Southwest boarding process has become very slow because there is not enough overhead space now that the airline charges for bags and more people are trying to carry their bags onto the plane. It really slows both boarding and deplaning.  

Storm off the Carolina Coast
April 30, 2026

It was not until late in the flight, as the low clouds broke and I noticed we were flying over Lake Okeechobee that I began to understand why we we going to be late landing--the course was radically different. The normal route is nearly due south, coasting out over South Carolina and flying direct to PBI over the ocean until just before landing. Today, however, we flew almost to Tampa before crossing to the east coast of Florida.

Self, I asked, why would we do that? The flight had some mild chop at times, but was not a severely bumpy ride. So, I checked a weather map and saw a huge very mean-looking storm right over the usual flight track. Aha! That's why we are going to be late landing. It was interesting that although we were coming in from the west, we flew to the south of PBI, I saw the field out the window, and out over the ocean to land heading west--which added more than a few minutes. The new approach from the east actually flys to the north of PBI to avoid Mar-a-Lago necessitating a slight roll out during final approach to the field. I am sure the people living under the new flight route are not happy!

I noted that as Chris and I departed the jet, we were in row 11, that the time was already about 11:25 AM and the jet was supposed to take off for a return trip to Baltimore at 11:40 AM. That was not going to happen. I looked it up, they did not take-off until 1:22 PM--an almost 2 hour delay. I am very happy we took the first flight of the day. It is going to be a long day of flying for a lot of people.

But, we are home, warm, and happy!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL