Sunday, May 26, 2019: Day 0: We Are Off

We got up at 3:00 am this morning to ensure we could make our 7:20 am flight out of IAH. We left the house at 4:00 am. Being early Sunday morning (and Memorial weekend), there was very little traffic. Even so, as we approached the interchange between I-45 and Beltway 8, Laura’s navigation system warned of “stop and go” traffic 15 miles ahead on I-45. Indicating an accident, she opted to get on the Sam Houston Expressway. We got to the airport, parked in a remote lot, took the shuttle to the terminal, checked our bags, got our boarding passes and arrived at the gate with two hours to spare! Oh, well, better early that late.

We were flying first class on a Delta CRJ 900 to Detroit before the leg to Beijing. The CRJ 900 is a small plane with three across in First and four across in Economy. Flight went smoothly and I got a short nap. In Detroit, we had a three layover, which we spent in the Delta Sky Club. The club was ok, larger than the United lounges I’ve been in, but one flaw was the shortage of power outlets.

We boarded the Airbus A350 and found our seats. We are both on the starboard side in window seats.

The flight path seems to be over the northern part of Canada and down through Russia. Flight time: 12 hours and 11 minutes

They fed us well.

Then tried to get some sleep.