Re-United

I turned the bend and was suddenly surrounded by Indian passengers and the smell of Hermes. The International Terminal at SFO has the same clean, high-end duty free concourses of so many airports including LAX's Bradley Terminal, but with a particular concentration of Asian passengers. The soon-to-depart Air India flight to Bangalore probably accounted for the Indian population.

I've never flown internationally out of SFO before, but was pleasantly surprised to see that San Francisco tastes are part of the airport culture. Most specifically, Lavender Love GT's Kombucha – one of my top three flavors and one that's become hard to find – was readily available as were a number of high end waters in metal bottles. In my search for dinner, no problems finding the same high-quality Asian cuisines I would expect to find in the city itself.

So I'm good to go for the 17-hour flight ahead. Which will after a four and a half hour layover will lead to another two and a half hour flight to Bangkok. One might think four hours ia a long layover, but not so. I have important plans for those hours: retrieve my bags, race to the Peninsula-Excelsior Hotel downtown, check my large suitcase into their held luggage closet and then head back to the airport to check in for my next flight. Doable? Absolutely. Or I think absolutely. 

I realized I don't need to drag all my stuff around to a Thai island – just some of it. So best to leave the wedding suit, shoes, etc in with the Singaporeans while I take my new large-but-not-as-large-as-the-old-one-I've-been-traveling-with-for 14-years backpack with me to Bangkok and Ko Samet. And of course this smaller load will appease the Thai Airways staff who will not have to hmm and haw over what to do with the foreigner with overweight baggage.

While Thai Airways – my favorite airline of all – awaits on the other side, tonight's long flight is on United. I haven't crossed the Pacific with United since 2007, although it was my go-to airline during the four and a half years I lived overseas. After becoming accustomed to elegant and comfortable Singapore Airlines for the past nine years, I was driven onto a United flight by insane airfares. I decided to use miles to right-size the price, but United didn't offer me any Singapore Airlines options, even though they are Star Alliance partners. 

Still UA 1 is on a 787-9 Dreamliner and I'm told is the best of United's fleet. The flight number suggests the importance United places on it. So I expect to be in good hands if not the magic hands of Singapore and Smooth-As-Silk hands of Thai.

What does any of this amount to? In one sense, not much – I'll get there and it will be fine. It might even sound a little bougie. Ok, it's definitely bougie. However, in another sense, it's a different vibe than the past 14 years. I'm flying out of a different airport. The passengers are a different – much more American crowd. United is efficient with their app and streamlined document checking – but perhaps not as creature-comfort oriented. And I'm sipping a Lavender Love kombucha as I write after having enjoyed some cha soba for dinner.

When I was single, United and I were old friends. I knew most of the flight attendants on the Tokyo-Seattle flights. The slightly older, very experienced crew offered some of the best service I've ever had. They were spectacular professionals steeped in the art of service. So we'll see what tonight/today offers. Whatever it may be, it's back to traveling myself, on United to Singapore – and it's like riding a bike….