I was very suspicious of this flight when I booked it. Why was it so much cheaper than every other flight? Why did it seem to be the only ATA flight to Orange County that day? Hadn’t Southwest bought ATA, and wasn’t ATA mostly in the Midwest, South, and/or East Coast? The Southwest gate agents didn’t make things any less confusing, but I had woken up way too early on a Thursday morning to consider that. I didn’t even notice that the boarding area was basically empty. When we got on the plane, I was shocked at how few people there were. I love empty airplanes, but I thought they were a thing of the past, like sub-$ 2.00 gasoline. Then I got scared. One of the armrests was broken, so someone came on to fix it with red duct tape. I’m not kidding. The captain helpfully explained that waiting for MacGyver to come had delayed our departure, and after he did come, we had to wait for the refueling truck. Hm. Although the plane was basically empty(31 passengers), one of the flight attendants made a big deal about making sure the three people seated in the emergency-exit rows knew what they were committing to. I get it. But was it really necessary to ask one of them if he understood English? It seemed arbitrary and a little racist. The flight itself was fine. When we landed, there were announcements in English and Spanish that those continuing on to Mexico City should have their passports out and proceed to a specific gate. So that’s why there were only five white-looking passengers on the plane. And that’s why the flight attendant asked whether the guy spoke English(although it still seemed strange). Flights from John Wayne Airport to Mexico City, really? I had no idea. The duct tape held up throughout the flight, and I was more than satisfied to have an entire row(and vicinity) to myself. I don’t know that I’m an AirTran fan, but I won’t be as suspicious next time, I promise.
