Asia on a Whim: SFO-JFK-MIA-TPA on American

That's an awful yellow lime.

Good God, man. How much email do you read and write in a day that makes you spend what seems like hours in the lounges catching up? 🙂

I've only read from the intro to Miami thus far, but your description of the scene in SFO was hilarious. I know exactly your feeling. Was the person who plated that Chicken Parm hammered? 🙂

I have yet to be denied a lime on UA since they "got rid of them".

Fantastic report, Ben. What an adventure!

The sundae looks good. It looks like it was made to order. I guess AA brought it back to the business class cabin.

Thanks for the great trip report!

I have a good related story for you. Here, weather delays get the masses riled. Well, a couple years back, I was in Mozambique, and was planning to take the train from Nampula to Cuamba (basically the only route across the north of the country - there is no road other a dirt track!). A big lightning story had hit the night before my train left. We were a few hours down the track (total length about 200km) when the train came to a stop: the bridge was knocked out. We spent the day basically in the bush, and they eventually got us back on and brought the train back to Nampula "while they repaired the bridge". The next morning, we still hadn't gone. The whole day everyone waited on the train, that night everyone slept on the train, the next day the same. No explanation. And people were as calm as they could possibly be! I made them laugh by promising a greve - a strike - as the token white guy on the train. After 2 days, I finally was upset enough to hunt down the director of railways for the region - an angry foreigner was enough to roust him for a secret meeting. He told me many bridges were out, and it would be some time still before we would leave. I told him just to process a refund and I'll hire a 4x4. He said he couldn't do that until the train was cancelled. I said, when would that be? He replied that if the train is delayed 30 days or more, they will cancel, but don't worry, your ticket allows you to sleep on the train in the meanwhile!

I think this particular director has a future in him at Spirit Airlines, and perhaps United would prefer a less agitated tropical crowd than the ones they get here!

"First we wanted to get some work done, so we decided to head over to the British Airlines lounge in the international terminal."

Get ready to don your flame-proof suit, BA flyers don't like their airline being referred to as "British Airlines" :-p

Awesome trip report, Luck. You have a knack for details that makes us feel like we're up there with you!

I had no idea you could get into another terminal as long as you have a boarding pass. Is this just at SFO? Or have you had this experience at other airports too?

Thanks so much for a fabulous travel report Ben! Your work is outstanding and the accompanying photos are just great. It's a pleasure to follow your exploits!

How come you, as a near devoted *A traveller, made OW Emerald? I don't see any blog entries about your promotion (something I would expect to see from you given the nature of your blog) besides a reference to a status match...one as a US resident you wouldn't be eligible for.

Care to share? I know a few *A travellers who could benefit from a status match to oneworld if there's one kicking about.

Feel free to drop me an email [email protected] if you don't want to broadcast it.

I personally feel dirty just looking at the pics of trAAsh.

[...] I read some of the trip reports from some of my fellow travel-blogger-types out there (see here and here for examples) – when you travel without children, there is nothing more wonderful than the [...]

I will be ordering diet coke with lime on my aa first class flight 135 in sept, thanks for the tip.

I cringe when I see potential security vulnerabilities published for the world to view. Please, for the safety and security for all of us who travel, please pen a note to security rather than boast about it in your blog, other than that, I enjoy reading... I know you're only sharing, but it really does put us all at risk.

In the 4th paragraph you put British Airlines instead of British Airways. Just so you know.

@ Andrew Meiners -- Whoops, fixed, thank you!