Flight check: Colorado to LA on United Airlines

A United Airlines Bombardier CRJ-700 approaches the runway to land at Los Angeles International Airport. Photo / iStock

Andrew Louis flies UA5639 from Montrose, Colorado, to Los Angeles, California.

The plane: A Bombardier CRJ-700.

Class: Economy.

On time: Departed 14 minutes late, but arrived on time.

My seat: A comfortable window seat with an empty seat next to me. Clean and tidy, though the inflight magazine and safety card have seen better days.

Fellow passengers: Mainly Americans and a few Asian travellers. One or two young families, but mostly couples and singles.

How full: Three-quarters full. The rear of the plane was almost empty, but has loud engine noise.

Entertainment: None, but the flight's only 90 minutes.

The service: Courteous and polite, with a smile.

Food and drink: Non-alcoholic drinks are free. No food.

The toilets: Only one at the rear of the plane. Close examination reveals that the rubbish bin is already full - and I am the first one to use it on this flight. Tsk tsk, cleaners.

Luggage: Plenty of storage above and under the seat in front.

The airport experience: Montrose Airport is small and has wonderfully short queues. We went through the usual shoes-off drill at security check. The departure gate is comfortable with plenty of seating and four televisions Restrooms are available and there's a bar serving alcohol and food. There is free wifi and a few power points.

Would I fly this again? Yes. If you come to Colorado for the Rockies, this flight saves you more time than flying out via Denver.