Starting a relatively short trip report series with this flight today! A week or so ago, I got to go visit some people close to me in Oregon and decided that I’d be trying to replicate some of the flights I took to and from there in Infinite Flight. I flew into Portland from Burbank on one of Alaska Airlines’s 737 MAX 9s, but because the MAX 9 isn’t in Infinite Flight yet, I had to substitute something. Since I’ve already done this route with the 737 MAX 8, I decided I should do it with the 737-900ER, which also features on the BUR-PDX route on occasion.
Server: Solo
Airline: Alaska Airlines
Aircraft: Boeing 737-900ER
Origin: Hollywood Burbank Airport, Burbank, California (BUR)
Destination: Portland International Airport, Portland, Oregon (PDX)
Flight Number: AS649
Route: KBUR-KPDX
Seat: 11F (Main Cabin)
Time En Route: 2 Hours 23 Minutes
After a minor delay with the E175 going to Santa Rosa previously at our gate, it’s time to board our aircraft for the roughly two and a half-hour flight to Portland! Currently, Alaska Airlines flies between BUR and PDX thrice daily, using a mix of 737-800, 737 MAX 8, 737-900ER, 737 MAX 9, and very rarely E175 aircraft. This evening’s flight is going to be operated by one of the Seattle-based airline’s 737-900ERs.
Finishing our pushback from Gate B4 as the bass note of the starboard engine spooling up fills the cabin. Due to the short distance we have to taxi in addition to the lack of traffic we’ll have to idle behind waiting for departure, we’re going to be taxiing on both engines to the runway. While this means an extra moment of sitting on the apron, oir captain explains, it means we’ll be able to turn onto the runway immediately once we reach the end.
Taxiing by Burbank Tower with some surprisingly empty A Gates in the background. There’s only a couple Southwest jets there at the moment, but one of them is an eye-catcher. N214WN, Maryland One, is parked there after arriving a little while ago as WN4977 from Oakland. While a somewhat frequent sight for us, Maryland One is an increasingly rare bird among special liveries for Southwest, being one of the last ones still on a 737-700.
Taking off from Burbank with a snazzy-looking gray Global on the Jet Aviation ramp and a UPS A300-600RF parked nearby. While we were sitting in the terminal, we got to see the UPS A300 arrive from Louisville. As for our aircraft, it’s a typical Alaska 737 NG. It’s not as spacious on the inside as the MAXs, but it’s still definitely towards the upper end of 737s in North America in the main cabin. For a flight from SoCal to the PNW, it’s not so much the cabin that makes a flight as the service and food.
Turning north as we climb over Sherman Oaks, with the Santa Monica Freeway disappearing behind the engine and the wing. Climbouts from the San Fernando Valley are almost always steep due to the necessity of avoiding traffic heading into LAX and Burbank, as well as in and out of Van Nuys. Having flown out of here before in the left seat of a Challenger 350, we can confirm it’s controlled chaos. L.A. Center definitely earns its pay by keeping everyone separated.
Cruising over Northern California at 38,000 feet, just south of Tahoe. So far, the in-flight service has been very good. The cabin crew was friendly, attentive, and timely in taking our snack and drink order shortly after we leveled off, and we’re now finishing up our snack box of fresh fruit and various cheeses while watching Grown Ups on our phone. It’s definitely shaping up to be a good flight so far.
Descending near Mulino as we near Portland. It’s a remarkably clear evening up here, in contrast to the last time we came to Portland on Alaska Airlines. However, that flight was around a full hour later due to an even longer delay and much later in the year, so it’s not a strictly one-to-one comparison. The approach into Portland International, like most Pacific Northwest airports on the west side of the Cascades, is absolutely stunning when it’s light out.
Late evening arrival at PDX on Runway 28L. As usual, the B and C Gates are just about full up with Alaska Airlines 737s and E175s, plus an American or Hawaiian Airlines A321 or A321neo, respectively. We’ve arrived about 11 minutes early, so we’re hoping our gate is one of the open ones.
Turning clear of the runway with the landing lights of a few approaching aircraft glittering like man-made stars in the distance. Combined with the snow on Mount Hood glowing pink in the light of the setting Sun, they produce a somewhat ethereal effect. Looks like we’ve got a couple of Alaska Airlines’s special liveries at the B and C Gates tonight: the “Washington State/Go Cougs” E175 (N661QX) and the “Our Commitment” 737-900ER (N492AS).
Deplaned at Gate C9 while our aircraft is starting to be readied for its next flight this evening. Alaska Airlines, while not exactly a “premium” carrier, has consistently ranked highly for customer satisfaction, and this evening’s flight was certainly reflective of that. We had a cabin crew that was as good as any in the Gulf or among the top-ranking Asian carriers and the snack box we had was quite tasty. We’re definitely looking forward to our next flight with them!