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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 737-900, Denver – Seattle

Departure day arrived before we knew it. Like all holidays, it comes up all to quick. We drove down from Vail towards Denver which was a 2 hour drive down. The highway was pretty full and we were at 60 mph almost all the way. It dumped snow again and it was beautiful. It’s too bad we weren’t skiing.

We stopped for some last photographs at the view point just outside of Silverthorne.

After that stop, it was a leisurely drive down out to the middle of nowhere Denver International Airport.

We gassed up at the massive CONOCO gas bar by the rental car center. I snapped a last photo of our snowy hertz rental.

We were going to drop all bags at the airport then return the car, but we ended up just returning car and taking the Hertz bus over. The Hertz rapid return was handled promptly and friendly. It was better than my last Avis experience in Fort Lauderdale where I couldn’t find the attendant.

Friendly bus attendant dropped us at the Terminal West for the Alaska check in counters. Somehow we managed our way in with 3 pairs of skis and no rolling cart.

Alaska Airlines
AS 657 – Economy Class (H)
DEN-SEA (Denver International Airport – Seattle Tacoma International Airport)
March 24, 2018
2:36 PM – 4:34 PM
Booked: Boeing 737-900
Flown: Boeing 737-900

There was no line at the 3 kiosk Alaska counters. We headed up to the MVP line and were checked in promptly. A zealous check in agent undergoing training made WT73jr sign his passport; which somehow was blank on the picture page.

We were given boarding passes. MrsWT73 missed out on the MVP Gold First Class upgrade as there were only two seats left and she wasn’t high up enough on the priority list.

As we went to the gate, we headed through the massive security terminal. First airport I flew through after 9/11 and I had a distinct memory of US national guard standing around with M16’s guarding the security check point. TSA Pre-Check and we were through with only 1-3 people in line (less than 7 minutes).

We took the train out to Concourse C, which is the low rent terminal of DEN airport. Southwest, Allegant and Alaska out here. There is still a good solid food fair and Evan stocked up on McDonalds while MrsWT73 and I had La Casita which was solid Mexican food for an airport. There were some interesting United ads.

We all boarded with MVP group. We were able to get our big ski signs into the bin no issues. WT73jr gave me the window for a change.

The door was closed and we had pushed back form the gate but then a cryptic announcement that we had to return to the case “to take care of some stuff” by the pilot which later turned out to be a sick passenger that had to be off loaded.

A snazzy Southwest jet as we departed…

We were out and over the mountains before we knew it. It was a beautiful ride up to Seattle.

We had another nice approach into Seattle, with great downtown views.

It was a quick descent and we touched down at SEATAC. We pulled up next to another Alaska jet in the C terminal where we disembarked and headed for our connection up to Vancouver.

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