Okay, so what did my flight from Seattle to Phoenix last night have in common with this aircraft?

We both arrived in Phoenix at about the same time. He was 20 minutes behind me.

I knew you’d be soooooo impressed.

I’m not sure if it was all because of “security” concerns (and there was a slew of motorcycle cops, cops in cars, cops on foot, and whatever all hovering around the executive GAO terminal where the Prez was apparently going to make his exit) — but from touchdown to gate arrival took us 14 minutes.

Granted, there does seem to be a lot of apron and taxiway construction work going on at PHX as well.

But this was ridiculous. We could have taxied to Scottsdale in the same amount of time it took us to get to the gate. It seemed to me we went around in a huge circle.

Flight from Seattle to PHX was fine. Was in a bulkhead seat. We were more than a half hour late taking off though. According to the pilot on Alaska Airlines, “We have a small problem — a burned out light bulb that can only be replaced using a special tool that only a mechanic can use.”

I thought that was kind of amusing.

Other than that — the flight was uneventful — except for the spectacular sunset last night.

For PBB subscribers, we should post this week’s issue late tomorrow. (Remember too that I’m on left coast time this week.)

I’ll keep you posted. Literally.

The New York Times’ business travel columnist Joe Sharkey was on the Embraer Legacy 600 jet that was apparently involved in a midair collision with a GOL 737 as both aircraft flew above the Amazon jungle this weekend. That’s what Joe gets for doing a freelance assignment for Business Jet Traveler magazine.

If you have not read his account of what it was like, it’s a good read. (The NYT requires you to register to read, but it’s free.)

I’m posting this from the Alaska Airlines’ Boardroom at Sea-Tac. The folks at ALK were nice enough to give me a day pass because I have a fairly lengthy layover before my next flight out.

My initial reaction is quite favorable. Granted, there’s not all that Stephen Wolf-era purchased expensive artwork that adorns the walls of the US Airways‘ club in Charlotte, (my last airline club adventure) — but I think I prefer having the options of free high-speed cable or wireless, tasty snacks, complimentary premium drinks, and plenty of plugs to recharge my various electronic paraphernalia.

I can’t remember what kind of chairs were in the US Airways’ club, but the Aeron I’m sitting in as I type this is primo.

There are two levels to the club — and the lower level appears to be the noisier of the two. But not only are there the inevitable Windows and Mac start-up chimes going off every so often (not to mention those annoying Beethoven symphony ring tones on people’s cell phones).

No, I have a dog and his owner behind me, (“Stay, stay. Rockie….do you want a treat? STAY Rockie”) and a meowing cat in a carrier and her owner one divider over.

Cruised the Pacific Marketplace here at Sea-Tac before coming in here, and couldn’t resist getting some fried clams at Ivar’s. And I’ve got to tell you, they were pretty darn good. No frozen tough pieces of rubber. Nope. Nice fresh big clam strips fried when you order.

Have I said lately how I love the Pacific Northwest?

Looks like Virgin America has a new North American Industry & Public Affairs Manager.

And he is someone we are very familiar with.

Gareth Edmondson-Jones, who was with JetBlue for a number of its formative years as its head of corporate communications and PR and who told all of us he was off to Australia when he packed up and left — has resurfaced and he’s at Virgin America.

This week yours truly is on the road. Sunday I flew from New Orleans to Blaine, WA. To put it another way, I could have flown to Europe quicker. I think. Well, almost. I left the house at 10:30 a.m. and got here at the hotel at 10:15 p.m. my time.

American from New Orleans to Dallas. Alaska from Dallas to Seattle and Horizon from Seattle to Bellingham, WA. From there it was a 30 minute car ride to Blaine. I’m told I’m only two miles from the Canadian border. Think I should try out the border security?

So what the heck am I doing up here? I was honored to have been asked to speak at Alaska Air Group’s management planning session. Actually this was the third year in a row I was asked to speak, but only the first year I’ve actually made it.

Let me explain.

Two years ago I had to cancel because my recovery from hip surgery was not as fast as my surgeon had predicted. (Then again if he hadn’t broken my leg in the process, I might have made it up here just fine.)

Then last year in September, there was the little matter of Katrina. Yep. Those tickets flying me out of New Orleans became pretty useless the third week of September.

So this year was the third attempt to get up here and hey, what do they say? The third time was definitely the charm.

Big excitement this trip. I got to fly on a new aircraft I had never flown before. No, not a Maddog. And not a 737-700 with winglets. Nope, it was a Bombardier Q200 operated by Horizon. And right at sunset no less.

More later. Meanwhile tonight it’s dinner with the folks from Alaska and Horizon and some folks with Boeing. Tomorrow I hit the skies again, as I travel down to Phoenix. Although, as always happens when I come up to the Seattle or Portland area, I really don’t want to leave.

Thanks to more than one PBB subscriber who wrote to me last week extending an invite to visit with you at Boeing while I was out here. Unfortunately I will just pass through Seattle tomorrow. Alas, this means no Museum of Flight and no Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit.

But I do need to get an issue out this week. And to do that, I can’t rely on hotel internet connectivity.

But I don’t need to be home either.

I’ll keep you posted on my further escapades.