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This post is one chapter on our trip to Colorado, United States on Alaska Airlines. This trip was booked and credited to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan using a two for one Companion Fare courtesy of the Alaska Airlines credit card. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.

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Review: Alaska Airlines, Boeing 737-800, Seattle – Denver

We arrived to Gate N4 in the old N Terminal. Our connecting flight departed from here as well at N3. Despite this, we opted to kill our 3 hour layover by heading over to the C gates for a Wolfgang Puck Gourmet breakfast.

A quick breakfast and a second coffee to go for me at the nearby Beechers Cheese coffee bar. We ended up wandering back to the N Terminal. A brief story: every trip I’ve taken with WT73jr I have turned into an Amazing Race savenger hunt. He’s here in the journey trying to find his way through SEATAC with his clue in hand borrowing the airport wifi. I find the scavenger hunt a great way to keep him engaged while travelling instead of missing it all by watching You Tube videos on their device.

Alaska Airlines
AS 38 – Economy Class (T)
SEA – DEN (Seattle Tacoma International Airport – Denver International Airport)
March 17, 2018
09:50 AM – 1:28 PM
Booked: Boeing 737-900
Flown: Boeing 737-800

We arrived to Gate N3 in the North Satellite Terminal where we met up with MrsWT73 who had driven down from Vancouver to get a cheaper fare.

While waiting to get on board, we had a 20 minute mechanical departure delay as they worked through an unidentified issue on the aircraft.

We eventually boarded along with MVP zone into economy minus. Like on the last flight, as I was travelling with WT73jr today, I wasn’t on the upgrade list at all at my tier level; traveling companions aren’t eligible. MrsWT73 was upgraded into Premium Class and was happy to collect her “free drink” along with her snack basket.

Service started with the initial water service immediately after takeoff.

I was a little nappy. WT73jr son tricked my 6ft 2 inch frame into the middle seat today claiming I had the window on the last 30 minute flight.

We had some spectacular rockies views on the way down on the approach towards Denver. As usual, the pilot announced for some heavy turbulence for our trip in.

We off loaded at the C Gates in the Denver Airport. This is the last of the three terminals and the furthest out from the main building. My son found it amazing that they had Tornado Shelters in the airport; he hadn’t seen anything like that before. He was asking MrsWt73 lots of questions about what to do incase of emergency since she has regularly been travelling throughout the US.

The bags and skis were put out just under the Alaska 20 minute baggage guarantee. We somehow managed to self port all of our ski bags and 5 suitcases to the Hertz rental bus. It was just 5 minute shuttle over to the massive rental car center. The facility in Denver consists of multiple large scale lots as opposed to a large parkade style facility that you find in the more urban metropolis airports.

Hertz, along with most others presumably here, run a nice large facility. We found our name on the display board and thanks to Hertz Five Star status courtesy of Marriott Platinum Elite. We were able to head over to the 5 Star Zone and select from about 30 different cars. My son was beaming for a pick up truck but we ended up with a white 2018 GMC Acadia with only 2,500 miles on the odometer. It took us about an hour to get from the gate, to collect the bags and load up the vehicle for our trip to up Vail.

Once en route, we stopped at my usual city check in at I-70 Exit 264 to go to King Soopers (for discounted lift tickets). It turns out their printer was broken so they couldn’t sell any… along with some supplies and my favorite Colorado liquor store Applejacks. Even MrsWT73 was impressed “I could spend all day in there … so many yummy things.”

We drove up I-70 where our 4 cylinder Acadia strained against the high altitude of the mountain passes. We had some beautiful scenery coming up. Colorado sure is beautiful!!

It was remarkably easy to travel throughout North America with such short distances involved. Even with the brief flight connection in Seattle, it was always fun to travel with family.

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