Flight Report: AC 1918 – ATL to YYZ

It was a whirlwind five-day trip to Atlanta just to see Copa America 2024 Opening Match, but well worth it.  However, with the late nights and plenty of libations to go around, I was ready to head home at this point.  But not before we indulged at the business class lounge at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for a bit, which was a perk given to us for using my Aeroplan miles to book this flight.

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport

Our original flight time was scheduled for 3:30pm EST, but I received an email update from Air Canada stating that our flight was now delayed to 4:50pm EST.  Carrie and I discussed whether we should grab something to eat nearby or just head to the airport now and kill several hours at the airport lounge instead.  It was shortly after 11am EST when I received this email, so we’re talking at least 4+ hours to kill here before boarding our plane.  Ultimately, we decided to kill time at the airport lounge, especially since I hyped up my last airport lounge experience to someone whose never enjoyed this type of luxury before.

United Club Lounge at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport

The Uber got us to Jackson-Hartfield International Airport within 20 minutes.  Airport security was standard, so there were no hiccups there.  The real confusing part was where exactly was this lounge that we had access to.  I struggled to find the Maple Leaf Lounge, which is Air Canada’s chain of business class lounges worldwide at select airports.  However, I was told by one of the customer service reps that our ticket granted access to United Airline’s business class lounge instead, called the United Club.

Tarmac view of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport from the United Club

After nearly 30 minutes on the hunt for this lounge, we finally found the United Club.  And it was very underwhelming.  Spacious with bright windows overlooking the tarmac for any plane spotters wanting to kill time, the lounge felt more like a cafeteria with its standard round white tables and buffet style food options.  Multiple screens dotted the dining area with streaming services, but we were unable to watch any of Euro 2024 matches going on that day.  We grabbed some sandwiches, snacks, and alcohol over the course of the next couple of hours before heading closer towards our gate so I could find a bar playing some either Euro or Copa America matches while Carrie wanted to browse some of the shops.

Boarding AC 1918 - ATL to YYZ

The time had finally come for us to board AC 1918 after a couple of delays and an extra three hours added to our wait time.  As we boarded the Airbus A319, I noticed it was not the original plane that we were originally supposed to fly on.  You could tell right away with its seat formation of 2x2 within the first four rows of “Business Class” followed by a 3x3 formation all the way to the back at Row 42.  Air Canada has been absolute garbage this week but having used Aeroplan miles to help subsidize this once-in-a-lifetime trip, I’m limited to how much I can complain.  Let’s be thankful that we’re finally making our way home at this point.

Chicken Marcella, Spring Leaf Salad & Brownie with Red Wine

Given the short two-hour duration of this flight, meals were only served to those sitting in business class.  I had a chicken marcella, spring leaf salad with oil and vinegar dressing, and a brownie with two glasses of red wine.  My other option was the pasta entrée, which I wasn’t really feeling given I was still somewhat full from eating lunch at the United Club only a few hours earlier.

Inclement weather at Toronto Pearson International Airport

The flight went smoothly, except for the few minutes of turbulence we experienced about 20 minutes before we landed at Pearson International Airport due to inclement weather.  It was 21C with a slight drizzle in case anyone was keeping track.  Upon landing, we were required to wait approximately 20 minutes on the tarmac as our arrival gate wasn’t ready yet.  From there, Carrie and I went through customs and took our separate ways home while looking forward to our next soccer trip adventure together.

Inclement weather at Toronto Pearson International Airport

AC 1918 – ATL to YYZ

Operated by: Air Canada 

Aircraft: Airbus A319 (twin-jet); Seat: 2A

Cabin: Business: Meal / Business: Complimentary

Depart: 05:53PM EST – Hartsfield-Jackson International (ATL) – Gate F14

Arrive:  08:17pm EST – Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) – Terminal 1, Gate F36 

Flight Time: 2:24; Non-Stop Flight – 816 Miles/1313 Kilometers; Date:  June 22, 2024

Airport Eats – The Hearth by Chef Lynn Crawford

Once I had checked in for my flight to Chicago, I had almost an hour to get some breakfast before boarding.  I’ve already have had my fair share of Wahlburger’s by now and fancied something other than Twist, Apropos or Red Rocket.  So, I decided to eat at the Hearth for a change.  The breakfasts here are very hearty and healthy and come in decent sized portions.  I opted for the Farmer’s breakfast.  For $16, I ended up getting two pieces of Rye toast, two scrambled eggs (or any style of egg of my choice), sausage, and potatoes.  I also ordered a cup of coffee and a tomato juice just because I was in the mood for it.  It was a very filling breakfast as I only finished half of my eggs and potatoes due to the sausage being larger than I had anticipated.

The Hearth by Chef Lynn Crawford

The Hearth provides a very homely feel just like its name suggests.  It’s very clean and pristine with an open kitchen and decorative artwork of various vegetables adorning the walls.  It also has a front patio and a takeout section.  Bar service here is decent and the television sets are typically tuned into sports channels.  I was able to watch some of the 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-final match between England and New Zealand.  England was dominating the match with a decisive 30 point lead early in the second half.

Farmer's Breakfast – Rye Toast, Sausage, Scrambled Eggs & Potatoes  

Due to its relaxing, laid-back environment, it’s relatively easy to strike up conversations here with your fellow travelers.  Somehow I managed to meet a woman from Los Angeles who was on her way home after a scheduled business trip.  Deanna was a very lovely lady and well-traveled.  When I asked her what she did for a living, she told me she was a trainer and merchandiser for an adult novelty manufacturer.  Oh, boy!  I got a good chuckle out that for a while.  Anyway, this is the Hearth in a nutshell.  It’s definitely a “home away from home” if you are looking for something a little different at Pearson International Airport as far as restaurant options go.

The Hearth by Chef Lynn Crawford

The Hearth by Chef Lynn Crawford

Lester B. Pearson International Airport

Terminal 1 – After-Security – Near Gate F60

Hours of Operation: 7 days/week from 4:45am – 10pm EST

Phone: (416) 776-3100

Flight Report – AC 1677 – MCO to YYZ

After a few days of work and pleasure in Orlando, it was time for me to head back home.  For the ride to Orlando International Airport, I opted to take an Uber for a change.  What a great call on my part as not only was it a quick 25 minute ride, but my driver was one of the most memorable characters I have ever met.  Shelly and I had a great conversation for the majority of the ride.  We talked about how she works Uber full time and only daytime hours.  It turns out that I was lucky to even have Shelly as my Uber driver as she “don’t do civilians.”  Rather than deal with the headaches and stress of driving locals all over the place, especially after a night of debauchery at local watering holes, Shelly only accepts airport pickups and drop off requests now.

Leaving Mickey Mouse Country

Orlando is one of a handful of cities in America that are popular for conventions and trade shows because of its low cost and ease of access for business travelers.  While I understand her reasoning for going this route, I couldn’t help but notice that she was a rather attractive African-American woman and asked her how often she gets hit on by Corporate Executives.  Without missing a beat, she admitted to me that it happens every now and then, including a recent customer who was overly obnoxious with the pickup lines.  But for this street smart ex-New Yorker, she “don’t do Executives, either.”  We had a great laugh over that before having a more serious conversation about the “Me, Too” Movement, particularly Bill Cosby.  That part of the conversation didn’t go over as well as we were in disagreement as to whether or not Cosby’s alleged victims should have spoken up about their sexual assaults decades ago or not.  But we both agreed that we were severely disappointed and saddened by the man Cosby is instead of the beloved actor and comedian that we grew up with during the Eighties.  Fortunately, that part of the conversation only last a few minutes as we had arrived at the airport – just over three hours before my scheduled flight.

Waiting for the tram to take me to Terminal B

Despite the extra time that I had, I had to wait for almost 30 minutes before Air Canada was able to check me in as they had flights to Halifax, Montreal, and Toronto all within 45 minutes of each other.  Because the Toronto flight was the last one of the day, the passengers heading to Halifax and Montreal were given first priority.  Following check in, I spent close to another 30 minutes waiting in line to go through TSA Security.  That was a complete chaotic process as there were clusters of people just randomly standing in line instead of listening to the TSA Officers who were trying to organize all of us in five different lines.  Overall, it took me about an hour to check in and go through security leaving me with 90 minutes to kill before boarding.

The galley on Air Canada Flight 1677

Since I had plenty of time to grab something to eat, I headed over towards Bahama Breeze for some dinner.  I’ll save the details for a later date, but I essentially picked it because it was the only restaurant near my gate that seemed lively and the tropical theme was really appealing.  Following dinner, I headed to Gate B94 where I had a few minutes to spare prior to boarding.  Nothing of significance to note for this flight as it was pretty similar to my Air Canada flight down to Orlando only a few days earlier.  However, I ended up losing my window seat to a five year old child due to a booking mishap his family had when they made reservations for this flight.

Air Canada Flight 1677

His father explained to me that Air Canada had accidentally separated his entire family of four, and because both of his children were under the age of seven, the Air Canada agents paired the father and son together in my seat while the Mother and Daughter were sat a few rows up on the other side of the plane.  No one told me about the change in seating planes when I boarded the flight, but given my history with Air Canada, I wasn’t surprised, either.  The father apologized for the confusion, but how could any reasonable person be upset given this situation?  I was just unsure where I would now sit as it was full flight.  Fortunately, the Father’s original seat was actually right beside me in the middle row, thus saving me the trouble of asking one of the flight attendants to help me find a new seat.

Toronto Pearson International Airport

With an estimated arrival time of 1am EST, I decided to take a nap during the flight.  Toronto has a noise by-law which prevents flights from departing between Midnight and 6am and arriving between 1am to 6am.  So, it was eerily quiet by the time we arrived at Pearson International Airport as we were one of the last arrivals for the day.  On the bright side, Canadian Customs wasn’t as busy as a result, so I was able to grab my luggage and head home all within 20 – 30 minutes of arriving.  Since this will be my last business trip for an indefinite period of time, the only thing I could think of while I headed for home was when and where my next flight would be.  And more importantly, when would I return to Orlando again?

An eerily quiet Toronto Pearson International Airport

AC 1670 – MCO to YYZ 

Operated by: Air Canada Rouge

Aircraft:  Boeing 767-300 (twin-jet); Seat: 46A                                                   

Departure: 10:26PM EST – Orlando International Airport (MCO) – Gate B94

Arrival:  12:58am EST – Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) – Terminal 1, Gate F69

Flight Time: 2:32; Non Stop Flight – 1090 Miles/1754 Kilometers; Date: March 20-21, 2019

Flight Report – AC 1670 – YYZ to MCO

Orlando was an impromptu work trip due to some recent internal restructuring.  An extra spot opened up for our biggest trade show of the year, so off I went to get out of this chilly winter weather.  However, the trip got off to a bit of a rough start.  With a departure time of 6:50am EST, I was already running late by not leaving my condo until 4:30am EST.  Although my cabbie got me to Toronto Pearson International Airport within 30 minutes, there was a massive lineup for Security check in when I arrived.  For the first time in years, Security escorted me to a shorter line in order for me to make it on time for my flight.  Sure, that may have saved me about 15 – 20 minutes.  But the lineup for U.S. Customs was even longer.  Overall, the whole process took me close to an hour.  There were people in line with me who had it worse, though, as their departure times were around 6:40am EST and 6:30am EST.  It goes without saying that some of these early morning flights were either not going to depart on time or the lineup for U.S. Customs was deceivingly faster than it actually looked.

Air Canada Flight #1670

By the time I arrived at Gate F61, Air Canada already started boarding passengers on my flight.  No time for me to have breakfast, so I had to wait until we arrived in Orlando for that.  First Class had a 4x2x3 formation while Coach had a 2x3x2 formation.  This was perfect for me since it meant I only had to deal with one person the entire flight instead of two.  The plane had about 50 rows in total and was near full capacity.  Because it was an Air Canada Rouge flight, this meant that the only way you can watch movies is through the Air Canada app on your phone.  Unfortunately, I brought the wrong headset as I left my iPhone ear buds at home.  That being said, I opted to sleep away as much of the flight as possible as I was still a bit exhausted.

Orlando International Airport

With the exception of a few minor incidents of turbulence, it was a relatively smooth flight that allowed me to sleep away a couple of hours or so.  As we descended upon Orlando International Airport, I noticed it was extremely cloudy – much different from the sunny skies that embraced me nearly two years ago.  The landing was pretty rough – and we arrived at our gate 35 minutes later than expected – but there was no rain just yet.  So, I grabbed my luggage as soon as I could and headed to my hotel.  The only plan for today was to make my way to the Orlando City FC match.  But first, I needed to see how early I could check into my hotel as it just a little after 9:30am EST.  Plus, I still needed to grab some breakfast.

Orlando International Airport

AC 1670 – YYZ to MCO 

Operated by: Air Canada Rouge

Aircraft:  Boeing 767-300 (twin-jet); Seat: 46A

Departure: 06:50AM EST – Pearson International Airport (YYZ) – Terminal 1, Gate F61

Arrival:  09:43am EST – Orlando International Airport (MCO)

Flight Time: 2:53; Non Stop Flight – 1116 Miles/1796 Kilometers; Date: March 16, 2019

Flight Report – UA 281/UA 2420 – AUS – IAH – YYZ

Even though I didn’t get to see much of it, I really enjoyed the craziness that is Austin.  Just the food, drink, and nightlife alone make this city a worthwhile visit.  But, I just scratched the surface here.  The museums, parks, and other attractions that I didn’t get around to on this trip provide a lot more substantial context to Austin’s story.  I have no idea when I will return, but it will definitely be for a longer visit combined with a few days in San Antonio.  This part of Texas is just incredibly beautiful and laid back making it a really relaxing place to vacation.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Right then, so onto to my flight home.  I grabbed the first taxi I could find at the Hyatt Regency since a lot of conference attendees were also making their way home around the same time as me.  With a late afternoon flight, I left shortly after 2pm CST.  I thought this would leave me plenty of time to check in until we hit some traffic on IH-35.  Fortunately, it only lasted for a couple of minutes.  The ride itself only took about 20 minutes, so I still had more than enough time to check in for my flight.  It was a chilly 6°C despite the sunny skies appearing above Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.  I’m just thankful that I got to experience a few good days while I was here as it could have been much worse.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Check in took only 5 minutes, which gave me plenty of time to explore the airport if I wanted to.  However, since lunch was provided at the end of our conference, I was both full and exhausted at this point.  There definitely were a few interesting dining options here, but I decided to wait until I got to Houston to eat as I had a 2 ½ hour layover there.  I did take advantage of the more liberal liquor laws of Texas, though.  You can drink alcohol anywhere you want within Austin-Bergstrom provided you are at least 21 years of age or older.  With that being said, I grabbed one more local Austin beer for the road – an IPA from Infamous Brewing Company – and just waited at my gate until boarding.  This IPA was very malty and hoppy with flavours of candied yams, lemon custard, and pepper.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

United Airlines Flight #281 had a formation of 2x2 in Business class with three rows in total.  Economy was in a 3x2 formation with 35 rows in total.  I sat in the very back in Seat 38F.  Upon takeoff, I was a bit unnerved by the amount of turbulence we encountered.  It seemed much bumpier than usual and I felt as if the tail end of the plane was going to snap off for some reason.  Yes, I know that sounds silly.  But, I have been noticing lately how much more sensitive I am to the regular nuances of flight when I am in these smaller planes now.  It gives you a greater appreciation of what these flight crews have to deal with on a regular basis.

A beautiful sunny sky en route to Houston

With a scheduled flight time of 33 minutes, there wasn’t much time to enjoy this first segment of the trip home.  I ended up drifting in and out of sleep instead, but woke up around the peak of the flight to this gorgeous sunny sky.  It was a nice sendoff for me from Texas.  We had time for one complimentary drink and a snack, so I grabbed my usual Mott’s Tomato juice with pretzels.  Upon descent on George Bush Intercontinental Airport, we experienced a dip in the weather as it was cloudy and 3°C leaving me unable to see the downtown area of Houston.  Despite the inclement weather, we had a very soft landing.  Surprisingly, no one clapped for this great landing like tradition dictates.  In any case, I was here in Houston with more than a couple of hours to spare before the second segment of my trip home began.

George Bush Intercontinental Airport

UA 281 – AUS to IAH

Operated by: United Airlines

Aircraft:  Airbus A320 (twin-jet)

Depart: 04:11PM CST – Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) – Gate 27

Arrive:  05:21PM CST – Houston Bush International Airport (IAH) – Gate C4

Flight Time: 1:10; Non Stop Flight – 245 Miles/394 Kilometers; Date:  November 13, 2018

Ember - One of the best Airport Restaurants in North America

Due to the near fatal mistake I made arriving to Houston a few days earlier, I decided to find my gate first for the flight home to Toronto before looking for a place to eat.  Fortunately, my gate was still in Terminal C.  So, I didn’t have too far to go to.  This time around, I decided to eat at Ember.  It seemed like a fancier place than Bam Bam and had way better service.  I’ll write a separate review on this restaurant, but it is one of my favourite North American airport restaurants to date.

George Bush Intercontinental Airport

After finishing my dinner, I still had quite a bit of time to kill before boarding.  Rather than continue to wait it out at Ember, I decided to make my way near the gate to see if there was a place to charge my phone before boarding.  In fact, there was a whole section of tables with charging stations where people could also order food and drinks while they are at it.  This also included alcohol, so I decided to have one more Texan beer as a final send off to this great State.  This time I ordered a Pilsner from B-52 Brewing Company – a local craft brewery just outside of Houston.  It was very light, hoppy, and crisp.  Not bad for this style of beer!

Departure information for United Airlines Flight #2420

United Airlines Flight #2420 had a 2x2 formation with 4 rows in Business Class with a 3x2 formation in Economy.  The Captain announced that the expected flight time would be a total of 2 hours, 24 minutes with tailwind.  This time around I was willing to pay for the inflight entertainment system.  However, I couldn’t reach down to plug in my ear buds to watch movies.  And I couldn’t ask the elderly Indian man beside me to move so I could plug them in because there was a severe language barrier here.  So, I ended up sleeping for most of the flight against my better judgment.  Not much else to discuss about this flight aside from the rough turbulence we experienced just before landing in Toronto.  Everyone was getting tossed around like we are all riding bumper cars.  It was just a terrible experience.  Aside from that, I was happy to be home, but a little sad as this would be my last flight for 2018.

Descending upon Toronto

UA 2420 – IAH to YYZ

Operated by: United Airlines

Aircraft: Boeing 737-800 (twin-jet); Seat: 24A

Cabin:  First Class – Dinner; Business – Dinner; Economy – Food for Sale

Depart: 07:48PM CST – George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Gate C3

Arrive:  11:56PM EST – Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Gate 193

Flight Time: 3:08; Non Stop Flight – 1380 Miles/2221 Kilometers; Date: November 13, 2018

Flight Report – AC 8946 – YYZ to YSJ

Being that it was late October, it was still dark outside and a brisk 3°C when my cab arrived just after 6am EST.  I was on my way to Pearson International Airport for yet another work trip, although this one was scheduled for me at the last minute as one of my colleagues could not make it.  As a child, I have only driven through New Brunswick on a couple of family trips to Halifax.  But I have no recollection of what we saw or did in New Brunswick aside from the few photos we took along the way.  So needless to say, I was pretty stoked to see what Saint John had to offer even if I only had a short amount of time to explore it over the next 48 hours.

Air Canada Flight #8946

Highway traffic was minimal allowing us to arrive at Pearson International Airport within 30 minutes.  Check in and security took about 20 minutes in total as Air Canada had several early morning domestic flights.  They even opened the downstairs security location to make the process go even faster, which I didn’t even realize existed until now.  The more things you learn over time about your local airport!  All-in-all, it was a relatively smooth and painless process.  With over an hour to spare before boarding, I decided to find my gate first before grabbing breakfast at Mill Street Brewery Pub.

Flying past downtown Toronto

Similar to my flight to Providence, Gate D7 was located in a relatively small section of Pearson International Flight.  Instead of short commuter flights to regional airports in the United States, this section is commonly used for smaller domestic locations, such as Sarnia, Thunder Bay, Moncton, and Fredericton.  This would be one of those situations where I would walk out onto the tarmac to board my flight – a de Havilland Dash 8-400 twin-turboprop plane.  The only downside to this flight was the lack of any entertainment system available, so I took a quick nap for the first half of the two hour flight.

A Quebec-shaped lake while flying over Quebec!

The flight itself was pretty uneventful, except a couple of occasions where we had some turbulence.  Highlights of the flight included flying right past downtown Toronto, seeing the beautiful Quebec farmland landscapes, and our descent over the Bay of Fundy as we approached Saint John Airport.  Saint John presented an interesting dichotomy between the factories along the Bay of Fundy that were clearly polluting the air with the beautiful autumn foliage dotting the landscape.  We landed around 11:30am Atlantic Standard Time and pulled up to the tiny Saint John Airport – probably the second smallest North American airport I have ever been to after Yellowknife.  It was a brisk 2°C and cloudy when we landed, but no signs of inclement weather thankfully.

Descending into Saint John, New Brunswick

A few things that really stick out at Saint John Airport near the Arrivals section is a wall mural discussing the significance of prop planes in New Brunswick aviation history, a brick wall that literally says “Welcome to Saint John – Home of Moosehead Brewery,” and the “Saint John on the Bay of Fundy” sign right above the luggage carousel.  For me, I thought that was a bit unnecessary, but for International visitors, I suppose it was needed to distinguish the difference between Saint John and St. John’s – the capital of Newfoundland.  After nearly a 10 minute wait, I grabbed my luggage, called a cab, and made my way to my hotel.  I only had about five hours to explore the city before my colleague was to arrive.  But as I would soon discover, five hours was more than plenty to get the gist of this beautiful, yet depressed city.

Aeroport de Saint John/Saint John Airport

AC 8946 – YYZ to YSJ 

Operated by: Air Canada Jazz

Aircraft:  de Havilland Dash 8-400 (twin-turboprop); Seat: 18A

Departure: 08:28AM EST – Pearson International Airport (YYZ) – Terminal 1, Gate D7

Arrival:  11:33am ADT – Saint John Airport (YSJ)

Flight Time: 2:05; Non Stop Flight – 710 Miles/1143 Kilometers; Date: October 23, 2018

Flight Report – AC 7378 – YYZ to PVD

Although my flight to Providence wasn’t scheduled until just after 9:30am EST, I foolishly waited until 7am before leaving for the airport.  Getting some extra sleep took priority on this sunny June morning.  However, as soon as my cab driver merged on Highway 401, my heart sank.  We were stuck in Rush Hour.  For the next 30 minutes, we were moving at a snail pace crawl with some occasional “stop and go” segments.  Externally, I kept my composure, but internally, I was quite nervous.  I am not sure why, but traffic suddenly cleaned up and we were at Pearson International Airport within the next 10 minutes.  Forty minutes for the complete journey wasn’t too bad – average really – but given that it was a Monday, I knew this was just the first of my worries.

AC 7378 - YYZ to PVD

Security and check-in took less than 10 minutes, so that helped me a lot.  But given that it was Monday morning and a popular travel time during the week, Customs was busy, but swift taking about 30 minutes to get through.  Gate F86 was actually in an odd spot of Pearson International Airport.  Not only did it take about 15 minutes or so to walk to after passing through Customs, but there were a lot of renovations going on in this section of the airport.  After finding my gate, I noticed that there weren’t any restaurants nearby for me to grab a proper breakfast.  So I went to Great Canadian Bagel instead.

Boarding Air Canada Flight #7378

After eating my breakfast sandwich and drinking my freshly brewed coffee, I went back to Gate F86 to wait for boarding.  I noticed that this section of Pearson is where some of the shortest flights depart from with routes to Detroit, Cleveland, and Dulles (Washington, D.C.) listed on the itinerary schedule along with Providence.  With it being in a really small section of Pearson, Gate F86 reminded me of Yellowknife International Airport – small, yet quick and efficient with a handful of people sitting quietly nearby awaiting for boarding.  We also had to walk out onto the Pearson tarmac to board our flight much like I had to in Yellowknife for my flight to Calgary.  The flight was delayed for a few minutes due to some maintenance issues they needed to deal with before we could board.

Toronto Pearson International Airport

Once we were given the go ahead to take our seats, I was shocked by the size of the plane – a 2 x 2 formation.  I can’t remember the last time I sat in such a small plane, but this was a definite “puddle jumper” for the expected 57 minute flight from gate to gate.  The downside to this was that there was no in-flight entertainment system due to the length of the flight.  But the upside was that this was a really quick flight.  I passed the time by reading the June 2018 Air Canada enRoute magazine.  Ironically, they just released an interview they did with world renowned Chef and Traveler, Anthony Bourdain, three days after his suicide.  What was particularly creepy about this interview was his last comments when asked who he would like to invite to dinner next – Keith Richards – and what does he think that they have in common:  “We’re both still alive – against all odds.”  Yikes.

A sadly ironic Anthony Bourdain interview in the June 2018 enRoute Magazine

The flight attendants came by to offer us complimentary snacks and drinks.  Pretzels and tomato juice for me, of course.  All-in-all, it was a very smooth flight no turbulence.  Upon descent on T.F. Green International Airport, I noticed we were flying over a lot of forested land with pockets of lakes and swamps.  It reminded me of the approach to Orlando International Airport, but with a lot more trees.  A loud boom scared the bejesus out me when the wheels opened up for landing.  When you mainly fly much larger airplanes, these little differences are certainly noticeable.  We finally landed at 10:47am EST.  Within 20 minutes, we grabbed our luggage and I was on my way to Gillette Stadium for my next work trip.

T.F. Green International Airport

AC 7378 – YYZ to PVD

Operated by: Air Georgian (Air Canada)

Aircraft:  Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-200 (twin-jet); Seat:

Cabin:  Snacks & Complimentary Drinks

Depart: 09:34AM EST – Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) – Terminal 1, Gate F86

Arrive:  10:51AM EST – T.F. Green International Airport (PVD) – Gate 14

Flight Time: 1:17; Non Stop Flight – 463 Miles/745 Kilometers; Date:  June 11, 2018