Trip report: TOL-SEA on ATA

I normally fly Delta or Northwest, the former out of habit and the latter because they (generally) offer the least obtrusive way to get from home to SEA, my most frequent destination. However, I recently had to take a short overnight to SEA. NW wanted $1927 for their nonstop ex DTW, and DL couldn’t meet my departure or arrival time requirements. I went out on a limb and tried American Trans Air to see how it works.
Leg 1: TOL-MDW on a Saab 340. I don’t mind turboprops for short hops; the 340 is noisier than a CRJ, but no less comfortable. I used ATA’s web check-in; apart from a minor security surprise, I was able to print boarding passes and use them to get through TOL security, just like on Big Air (although ATA’s app is less sophisticated and can’t do wireless checkins yet). The TOL gate staff was friendly; the FA on my flight to MDW was OK, although her English was heavily accented and she could have benefited from either a good bath or a better grade of deodorant… but I digress. We arrived on time, but there were ominous thunderheads off to the west, and I counted 8 ATA and Southwest 737s lined up awaiting departure as the shuttle took us from one side of the field to the main terminal.
Leg 2: MDW-SEA on a 737-800. I hadn’t flown through Midway in at least 10 years, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The A, B, and C concourses are arranged like spokes radiating from a central food court, where I had a not-awful turkey sandwich. No wireless or wired Internet connectivity, and few power plugs, meant that I had to forego getting any work done; I was saving my battery for the plane ride. ATA doesn’t seem to handle irregular ops very well; there was a constant flow of conflicting PA announcements about arrival and departure times for various flights, and our flight was gate-changed four times. Boarding was by row and proceeded pretty smoothly. I’d estimate that the flight was 80% full, maybe more. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t see a lot of road-warrior types– there were lots of retirees, plus many toddlers with one or both parents.There were a few of the uptight-looking middle-aged white guys that I’m used to seeing in the F cabin on DL and NW, but none sat near me 🙂
We eventually departed about 70 minutes after our scheduled time. The flight itself was uneventful. I sat in 2D, the right-hand bulkhead aisle seat. Legroom on the bulkhead row is less than on the corresponding row (10) on DL or NW iron. Cabin service was briskly professional; of course, there was no food, but I’d laid in a supply of Fig Newtons ahead of time. Unlike NW’s DTW-SEA flights, this aircraft had an in-flight entertainment (IFE) system, but it only showed music videos, and that for only about 90 minutes. Given how awful DL’s movies normally are, this is probably not a bad thing. Given our late start, and the fact that we were traveling westbound, I expected a late arrival, but we actually got in 10 minutes late– not too shabby. I’ll write about the return flight tomorrow, after I get back.