Aboard Southwest 5444

The 737-800 that is taking us to FLL pushed back at 1:00p ... 10 minutes late. But once we started rolling, there was no stopping us. Within minutes we were wheels up and winging our way east.

Southwest flyers know that there are no seat assignments on this budget airline. Our early bird check-in had netted us boarding spots 46-48 in the A group ... first to be called after passengers that qualify for pre-boarding. So we expected that we’d get aisle seats. We did better.

Because we had requested a wheelchair to get mom through the hub-bub of the airport to the gate, we were moved into the pre-boarding group. Hey, we’ll take it.

Several people went down the jetway ahead of us. So, imagine my surprise when we found the starboard bulkhead seats still open. These are premium seats with excellent legroom. Yeah, the seats are on the narrow side ... but then so are all the other seats on the aircraft. Hey, we’ll take them.

Our flight has been pleasant. I passed the time with a bit of journaling and a bit of reading. Southwest provides free wi-fi, so I was able to check in with family in Turkey to let them know that we’re on our way to Florida. And now I am going to wrap up this quickie “footprint” and prepare to stow my electronics in preparation for landing.Read more