Trip Report Cancun Vacation 6/23-6/29

Route: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)-Cancun International Airport (CUN)
Date: June 23, 2008
Airline/Flight Number: American Airlines 1671
Aircraft Type: Airbus A300-600
Aircraft Registration: N34078
Scheduled Departure: 10:35AM
Push Back Time: 10:31AM
Take Off Time: 11:59PM
Scheduled Arrival: 1:45PM
Actual Arrival: 2:48PM
Flight Time: 3 hrs. 10mins.
Load Factor: 98%

It was about nine years since me and my family went to Cancun so we booked the trip for late June right after school ended. We arrived at JFK Terminal 8 around 8:30AM. We headed straight to the self check in computers and checked in our baggage quickly. We still had plently of time to spend. I was really impressed on how T8 looked soo beautiful and impressive art the terminal had. Sorry about the poor quality it was shot with a P&S camera.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...ller/004-6.jpg
T8 Construction:
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...ler/005-10.jpg
Sercurity went by smoothly and it was cool to see the "puff machine". I had time time to kill so I sat back with my I Touch and surfed the web. Eventually it was time for boarding and to start our vacation.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...ller/012-6.jpg
We pushed back from Gate 37 four minutes early. Once we taxied out off T8 we say a big line of aircraft waiting for take off on 22R. The captain informed us that it would be about a 40 minute wait. I wasn't too surprised about it since there are few times to avoid delays at JFK. I just sat back and looked out the window. I managed to see B-KPF and few other heavies including a parked NA 757 and 767. Our taxi consisted of basically going around 13L and taxing to 22R.
Here is an example of the long line:
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...ller/025-6.jpg
Once we taxied onto 22R I was glad to start taking off but boy I was wrong. We just rolled down the runway and made a left turn and faced the active on the other side. The captain informed us that we had to wait since our route was closed. We bascially parked there for half and hour with our engines shut off and watching take offs off 22R. Then it started to rain heavily which was another possible set back. We eventually started the engines again and taxied onto the runway and rocketed off 22R. Im sure all were very happy to start the flight. The flight was prettly uneventful with a little turbulence along the way. I spent most of the flight listening to my iPod and looking out the window and spot some interesting things like a rainbow and a few air traffic and T-Storms clouds.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...ler/029-10.jpg
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...ller/032-5.jpg
Flight was pretty full with about 98% capacity. Beverage and Snack service was good. Legroom was suffiecent but the thing that I didn't really enjoy were the seats on the A300. First they didn't contained the soft headrests and the seats were a little stiff and outdated.
Overall the A300 was not bad but was good enough for 3 hours. After we flew past the Florida keys and the Gulf of Mexico, we finnaly started our long descent to Cancun. Forecast was overcast and humid. We finnaly mangaged to land on runway 30.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...ller/036-5.jpg
We made a quick taxi off the runway and into the gate. Immigration and customs took about an hour and 20 minutes to get through but finnaly we made it.

[b]Route: Cancun International Airport (CUN)-Miami International Airport (MIA)
Date: June 29, 2008
Airline/Flight Number: American Airlines 2186
Aircraft Type: Boeing 737-800
Aircraft Registration: unknown
Scheduled Departure: 1:52PM
Push Back Time: 1:54PM
Take off Time: 2:06PM
Scheduled Arrival: 4:25PM
Actual Arrival: 4:15PM
Flight Time: 1 hr. 39 mins.
Load Factor: 98%[b]

After a great and relaxing vacation, it was time to head back home. We arrived at the airport at 11AM and went straight to the check in line. We waited about 10 minutes and checked in our bags. The check in line for US Airways was nearly overflowed when I walked pass. Sercurity went by surprsingly quickly and still had an hour and a half to burn off.When we arrived at the gate the aircraft was not at the gate. I walked up and down the terminal oberving aircaft taking off and parked at the gate. I was dissappointed not to find a TV showing the EURO 2008 final. Eventually the aircaft arrived and we started boarding in a few minutes. We pushed back quickly, made a quick taxi and took off runway 30. We flew past the beach strip but it was too hazy to see anything. The flight was pretty much uneventful. Service was friendly and great. The seats featured adjustable headrests and more comfortalbe seats. I was very impressed on how the airline performed on this route. After we landed on runway 9 at Miami, I left the plane very satisfied. Went through customs and immigration which took about an hour sent out bags to our connecting flight to JFK. Sercuity was a little long but it went by quickly and smoothly. Got a pizza for dinner and headed to Concourse D Gate 44. While eating, I overheard the 3 previous flights to LGA were cancelled which worried me a little and my parents. I ckecked the ATIS at LGA and JFK and it didn't sound so bad. People were trying to desperatley get on this flight but to little avial. We were happy to see the flight board a little late.

Route: Miami International Airport (MIA)-John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Date: June 29, 2008
Airline/Flight Number: American Airlines 1148
Aircraft: Airbus A300-600
Aircraft Registration: N80057
Scheduled Departure: 7:25PM
Push Back time: 8:00PM
Take off Time: 8:23PM
Scheduled Arrival: 10:25PM
Actual Arrival: 11:07
Flight Time: 2 hrs. 37 mins.
Load Factor 100%

I wasn't really looking toward this flight but at least the flight was not cancelled. We stayed at the gate for 45 minutes due to traffic delays but eventually taxied to runway 9 and took off flying over downtown Miami. Flight was completely full and cramped. I dozed off a few times on the flight. We finnaly started our decent and approach to 22L. Landed with no incedent and taxied slowly to T8. This were it goes downward. We had to wait about 20 minutes due to our gate not being ready. We finnaly arrived at the gate and walked into the terminal which was basically empty with some people waiting for a delayed flight to CDG. We then had to wait an hour and 20 minutes for our baggage which was frustrating. I was not happy to see T8 almost shut down at that time. We were able to get a taxi quickly and arrive home at 1:15AM.

Final thoughts: American was average to OK to fly on. I was really impressed on the CUN-MIA flight but not very much on the other flights. T8 is a great terminal in the morning but shuts down at late night (11PM). Overall American left me wanting to see something better but thats what you get when you fly economy. Sorry for no pics after the JFK-CUN flight. The old Sony 3MP P&S camera suddnely died which was kinda good. :mrgreen: