Christmas afternoon found me back at Philadelphia International Airport for the third time in a month, although the first time as a passenger.
It's strange, I adore airports but do not always enjoy flying, particularly on flights longer than an hour or two. There's a stickiness about it that really discomforts me. Plus, sometimes you're stuck across the aisle from the garrulous child who spends his time pointing out "ugly" and "scary-looking" children in the SkyMall magazine. More pointless and annoying (one-sided) conversation continues until his mother orders him to "find something better to do besides talk to me." He chooses to turn his iPod on and listen (loudly) to the Pokemon theme song until a flight attendant makes him turn the volume down, which he deems impossible to do. Every flight has a variation of this child.
We flew on Southwest, the first time I'd ever traveled on the airline. I'd heard only good things from others, and my experience definitely lived up to the hype. They won me over from the get-go, simply because they let you check your bags for free.
But what I really loved about Southwest was that the flight attendants actually attended. They were friendly and polite, and were constantly looking to provide us with anything we may need. I took a liking to an attendant named Alex, in particular. He wore a holiday tie and a string of Christmas lights around his neck that managed not to look completely cheesy.
Alex and his crew walked up and down the aisles frequently, with water, coffee, juice, trash bags, and snacks that were actually able to provide sustenance. And Alex let me take all the delicious chocolate chip cookie packs I wanted, every time I walked into the back to use the restroom.
We landed in Phoenix a half hour early, which is always appreciated. And I really liked Phoenix's airport, though after spending time in Philadelphia's, most places are an upgrade.
So overall, a positive beginning to this trip. I'm off to go enjoy the daytime sunshine and warm weather. I have to soak it up while I can!
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