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canyonwalkerPanama Travelog #40
IAH United Club - Tue, 31 Dec 2024. 4pm.
We're about halfway home from Panama right now. We're cooling our heels at the United Club at IAH. We relaxed in the Copa Airlines club in Panama before our first flight, and on our connecting flight from Houston to San Jose we've been upgraded to first class. These are all benefits of my Million Miler Lifetime Gold status. Yay, status, right? Except today these benefits aren't enough to turn a drag into into an enjoyable experience; they just make it drag a bit less.
Why? Let me count the ways:
First, it's a long day. We were up at 4:30am Panama time and had to solve one crisis at the airport while trying to solve another. Both were resolved without getting too bad, but they contributed to this being a long and trying day.
Second, the Copa lounge wasn't all that great. The food there was all carbs and sugar, and not even tasty-looking carbs and sugar. I passed on all the food offerings and nibbled on the last two pieces of jerky I'd packed from home. But at least the lounge had comfier seats than the gate areas in the terminal. I mean, there's got to be something there that entices people to spend $500/year for a lounge membership.
Third, the flight from Panama to Houston... well, there was nothing wrong with it. It was full, but I had enough room in my Economy Plus seat. I watched a movie, Inside Out 2, to help pass the time. But the flight still seemed to drag.
Fourth, we have a long connection here at IAH, and it is really a drag. Our incoming flight landed at about noon local time, and our connecting flight departs at almost 7pm. Yeah, a 6.5 hour connection isn't ideal, but the alternative was an approximately 2 hour connection— which we were worried we might miss. Today everything ran fairly well on schedule, and we totally couldn've made a 2 hour connection. But you know that if we did book a 2 hour connection, there's a 50% chance the incoming flight would be delayed, there'd be a humongous line at immigration because 3 jumbo jets just landed, luggage would be slow to arrive, and/or there'd be a line to re-clear security.
Fifth, while we caught upgrades to first class, it's basically ghetto first class. It's a bigger seat with a microwave-quality meal and a couple free drinks. I mean, it's better than coach class with no elbow room, a pack of crackers, and half a can of soda, but that's damning it with faint praise.
Sixth, we're both coming down with something. I'm not sure what it is, but right now we're both so achy and tired it's painful. When we planned this itinerary we thought we'd nap on at least one of our flights and be refreshed when we land this evening— New Year's Eve. We told our friends back home we might join them for a low key celebration. Well, change of plans: I've just texted them. "I'm so wiped I may just face-plant on the bed when I get home." 😖
Update: ...And when I got home, that's nearly what I did!
IAH United Club - Tue, 31 Dec 2024. 4pm.
We're about halfway home from Panama right now. We're cooling our heels at the United Club at IAH. We relaxed in the Copa Airlines club in Panama before our first flight, and on our connecting flight from Houston to San Jose we've been upgraded to first class. These are all benefits of my Million Miler Lifetime Gold status. Yay, status, right? Except today these benefits aren't enough to turn a drag into into an enjoyable experience; they just make it drag a bit less.
Why? Let me count the ways:
First, it's a long day. We were up at 4:30am Panama time and had to solve one crisis at the airport while trying to solve another. Both were resolved without getting too bad, but they contributed to this being a long and trying day.
Second, the Copa lounge wasn't all that great. The food there was all carbs and sugar, and not even tasty-looking carbs and sugar. I passed on all the food offerings and nibbled on the last two pieces of jerky I'd packed from home. But at least the lounge had comfier seats than the gate areas in the terminal. I mean, there's got to be something there that entices people to spend $500/year for a lounge membership.
Third, the flight from Panama to Houston... well, there was nothing wrong with it. It was full, but I had enough room in my Economy Plus seat. I watched a movie, Inside Out 2, to help pass the time. But the flight still seemed to drag.
Fourth, we have a long connection here at IAH, and it is really a drag. Our incoming flight landed at about noon local time, and our connecting flight departs at almost 7pm. Yeah, a 6.5 hour connection isn't ideal, but the alternative was an approximately 2 hour connection— which we were worried we might miss. Today everything ran fairly well on schedule, and we totally couldn've made a 2 hour connection. But you know that if we did book a 2 hour connection, there's a 50% chance the incoming flight would be delayed, there'd be a humongous line at immigration because 3 jumbo jets just landed, luggage would be slow to arrive, and/or there'd be a line to re-clear security.
Fifth, while we caught upgrades to first class, it's basically ghetto first class. It's a bigger seat with a microwave-quality meal and a couple free drinks. I mean, it's better than coach class with no elbow room, a pack of crackers, and half a can of soda, but that's damning it with faint praise.
Sixth, we're both coming down with something. I'm not sure what it is, but right now we're both so achy and tired it's painful. When we planned this itinerary we thought we'd nap on at least one of our flights and be refreshed when we land this evening— New Year's Eve. We told our friends back home we might join them for a low key celebration. Well, change of plans: I've just texted them. "I'm so wiped I may just face-plant on the bed when I get home." 😖
Update: ...And when I got home, that's nearly what I did!
