Here we go again! You know it's getting close when you start finding Perry in your suitcase while you're packing to travel so he doesn't get left behind.
I had a record late flight out of Tulsa...9am! I was super stoked knowing my aunt would cook me breakfast, whatever I wanted because she's great like that. However, my uncle's cataract surgery was schedule for crazy early, so they left before I even needed out of bed. It's okay though. Mom and I enjoyed the donut shop down the street.
As you can see, Perry is ready to go!
I would like to say my travels were uneventful, but a few hours in I was starting to have band trip deja vu. I was frustrated when I landed in Denver because I had a United Club pass (actually two) that would expire in a week. But we got to sit on the plane for a good thirty minutes before getting to our gate. When I do get off, it's another good twenty plus minutes to switch terminals. I had decided to give up on the club, but much to my surprise my gate was right beside the club entrance, so I could go in and eat 45 minutes worth of free gummy bears (well, I had lunch too).
It was time to be on my merry way to Japan, so Perry and I made our way to the good ole Boeing 787. After we were fully loaded, the captain comes on and says there is a mechanical error and we had to deboard so they could power down the airplane and restart it. (Funny. They treat it like a phone or computer. Just turn it off and restart to see if that fixes the problem. I don't know how I feel about that.) At this point, we knew we were a minimum of two hours waiting, so guess where I went? Back to the United Club for more gummy bears. (I chose the best of all possible days to use that free pass! Waiting in a Club with free gummy bears is better than a Loves in Tennessee.) As you can see, Perry is enjoying his spacious seat with windows overlooking our gate so we won't miss our flight.
We were eventually let back on the plane, taking off about 2.5 hours later than originally planned. (This meant I would miss my connecting flight to Guam once I got to Japan. However, there was still one more plane to Guam, so I wasn't overly concerned. Plus, I kind of wanted an overnight in Japan because after twenty-one years of doing this, I have yet to spend the night in Japan.)
I had a really good seat on my flight. Not the amazing seats in the very front that I can occasionally swing when I fly on a pass, but what is now called "Premium Plus." They are similar to the old first-class seats....a little more room, a little nicer food presentation, a bigger tv, the good headphones, a nice pillow and blanket, and a goodie bag.
However, the bread was still cold and that disappointed me. I just knew I would get better bread like the good seats. 😂 I did get a lot of food. Three meals in fact.
The most exciting part of the trip was when the captain came on mid-flight. I was a little concerned because 1) the captains never talk in the middle of these flights--they want to keep the passengers asleep and 2) he had a strange tone when he started talking. I just knew we were going to have to go land somewhere because the plane reboot didn't actually fix the problem. Nope, someone was smoking in the lavatory. That's been illegal folks since 1988. Oh, the captain was hot. I guess there's a smoke alarm that signals in the cockpit (??--I will double check this with my brother later). He said if they were caught they would be detained in Japan. Nothing like a Locked Up Abroad case to ruin a vacation.
I was rebooked to the later Guam flight, and upon arrival they held the plane for several us who needed to travel on to the islands. But I got bumped up to business class on that flight, so another nicer meal...and this time HOT bread! (I took the picture before they came around with the bread basket.)
My upgraded seat also came with a sunset view leaving out of Japan.
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