Ozward Bound

San Francisco is experiencing fog or rain or something similar which makes the federal authorities cut them back to using one runway only so our SEA-SFO flight has been delayed by 90 minutes or so. We have a long layover in SFO so we'll still have plenty of time to stroll over to the international terminal, enter the RCC, and maybe even visit the Silver Kris Star Alliance Lounge next door.

We fly next to Sydney, a roughly 14-hour flight, and then catch another UA 747 for a very short flight, just a bit over 300 air miles, to Melbourne. We'll overnight at the Airport Hilton and fly to Adelaide Friday afternoon, in time to join up with our fourth consecutive Flyer Talk Oz Fest for dinner after checking in at the Adelaide Hilton.

We took the opportunity to wander over to the Continental President's Club since we now enjoy reciprocal privileges. Nice people and a free bar (which we didn't take advantage of at the beginning our flying marathon) but surprisingly small.

We're now back in the Red Carpet Club, which almost feels like a second home to us. Not at all a bad place to wait for a delayed flight.

Updated to 9:15 p.m. We enjoyed a great flight SEA-SFO with two FAs who were cheerful and kept everyone supplied with water and other drinks along with a grape-and-cheese-plate, pretty good for UA on a 678-mile flight.

It was an odd one in that 22 of the 24 First Class seats were filled, and the probably outnumbered the passengers back in Economy. The flight was delayed and there was obviously room on an earlier flight, also delayed, so there weren't too many passengers left.

What a treat it is to be able to walk the new passageway between the domestic and international terminals SFO, which saves the old dilemma of waiting for a bus, which only ran on restricted hours, or hiking the same distance but having to go through a TSA checkpoint again. We of course have to do all this on our return but we'll accept any small decrease of inconvenience with gratitude.

Next stop SYD.