Surprisingly Uneventful: Review of FLL-CHS Silver Airways ATR 72-600
Move over Delta, it’s time for Silver (Airways, not Medallion)! đ Photo by: Evan Berman
After a wonderful time in South America, we needed to take one more flight back to Charleston from South Florida. Flying back after Thanksgiving weekend meant that the choices were few and far between. We ended up flying low-cost airline Silver Airways so as to not break the bank!
This recap is part of the larger South American Adventure. For more information on this trip, follow these links:
Flight: CHS-JFK in Delta Comfort+
Flight: JFK-SCL in LATAM Economy+
Osaka Santiago, Chile Restaurant Review
Flight: SCL-AEP in AerolĂneas Argentinas Economy
Flight: AEP-FTE in AerolĂneas Argentinas Economy
Trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentine Patagonia
36 Hours in El Calafate, Argentina
Flight: FTE-USH in AerolĂneas Argentinas Economy
Flight: USH-AEP in AerolĂneas Argentinas Economy
2 Days in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Flight: AEP-SCL in AerolĂneas Argentinas Economy
Flight: SCL-MIA in LATAM Business Class
Hyatt Place Ft. Lauderdale/Plantation
Flight: FLL-CHS in Silver Airways Economy Class (This Article)
Flight Info:
Route: FLL-CHS (Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Charleston, South Carolina)
Date: Monday, 11/28/2022
Flight: 3M87 (Silver Airways Flight # 87)
Plane: ATR 72-600
Seat: 3C (Main Cabin Aisle)
Est. Departure: 8:45am EST
Taxiing: 8:59am EST
Takeoff: 9:08am EST
Gate: A4 (Terminal 1)
Est. Arrival: 11:10am EST
Touchdown: 10:59am EST
Arrived at Gate: 11:10am EST
Gate: C3 (Main Terminal)
Pricing:
Flight: I booked this flight with Silver Airways on their website. You may book Silver flights through their partners, including United but be aware that the Travel Bank cannot be used to purchase codeshare flights (only flights operated by United).
Earnings: 235 United SkyMiles
Flight Info: Class T (Discounted Economy), 472 miles
PQF: 1
PQP: $80
Booking:
As mentioned above, I booked this flight through Silver Airways. While I’ve heard terrible reports of random cancellations without notice or support, every other flight was at least $300 for a one-way flight to Charleston. We decided it was worth the risk to fly with Silver. Though I rarely fly United, I made sure to put my United frequent flyer info down to at least earn some redeemable miles.
I have no elite status, but if you have elite status with United or another Star Alliance partner, you may choose to include this frequent flier number instead.
The other consideration is where to credit your flights. I use this helpful website, Where to Credit to determine the best course of action. All you need is the airline and booking class. Look for that on the confirmation email after purchasing or when choosing the specific fare, note the class. In this case, I valued United redeemable miles the most, but you may have a different calculus.
Lounges:
There are many lounges in FLL, including several in Terminal 1, our departing terminal. However, the only ones in Terminal 1 are airline lounges that we do not have access toâ United Club and Admiral’s Club. As such, we waited for boarding in the terminal by the gate.
Recap:
We boarded via the back doors, walking outside, rather than using the connected boarding process. A rarity in the US, but common elsewhere for sure.
This plane was a twin-propeller ATR 72-600. For those of you who haven’t flown a twin-prop ever (or at least in a while), let’s talk about the limitations compared to a normal jet plane. Max speed in this plane is only 317 mph, well less than most commercial planes (over 500-600 mph). Additionally, the plane flies lowerâ we were actually able to spot MCO, Orlando International Airport when flying over, to give an idea of how much lower than the normal 30,000 ft we were.
As you might expect given these limitations, the maximum distance flown is less as well. The flight attendant told us that is theoretically possible to get across the Atlantic but they never do because if any weather occurs, you’re really pushing the limits of the distance that is able to be flown.
Nevertheless, once we were used to the loud noise of the propellers (putt-putt-putt…), the flight was fairly smooth. It helped that we flew in the morning during late November and the conditions were perfect. The flight takes longer than you may imagine given the lack of speed, but we touched down nearly 20 minutes before the estimated arrival.
Unfortunately, we sat on the runway, giving up all that extra time back and exited the plane 20 minutes later. Whomp, whomp.
I selected an aisle seat as I was concerned about not having satisfactory legroom on the window. It turned out not to be a problem at all! I’m 6’2″ with long legs and I was not uncomfortable with my legs under the seat in front of me.
The ATR 72-600 we flew has a 2-2 setup all in economy. There is no differentiating between economy, premium economy, and business class on these small planes.
Meals:
Our flight took roughly 2 hours, and as is typical with a low cost carrier, we were able to purchase a snackâ we did not get anything for free.
Sleep:
On a short early morning flight, I did not sleep at all.
Experience:
My seatmate was a mother with her baby. She apologized that her daughter kept touching me, my water, the seat, etc. but I did not mind. I didn’t know what to do or say though; when her baby started crying, she hit the girl in the face! Not once, but several times. It was effective in getting her to stop, but there has to be another way, right?
Customs:
As this was a domestic flight, there were no customs.
Recap:
After a delightful vacation in South America, it was time to return home. For the last leg, we flew low-cost carrier Silver Airways on their twin-prop airplane. The flight went shockingly smooth. I wouldn’t go out of my way to fly Silver in the future, but I would have more confidence going forward. Next up: a recap of this trip followed by the next trip report. Stay tuned for my time in Norway!
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