While I have seen a lot of aircraft of late, today’s boarding in sunny Palm Springs carries special excitement as I begin my vacation with an overnight flight to South America. United is flying me via Houston to Santiago in Chile where I will unite with my travel companion Jerry for our first Antarctica adventure with Silversea Cruises.
Kudos to United Airlines which keeps impressing passengers with service and personal touches. On our Boeing 767, female captain Walker greeted guests at embarkation and she kept us well informed along our 8:30 hour flight across the equator. Much to my surprise, the day before my flight, United sent an upgrade offer to Economy Premium for USD200 which I promptly selected. These seat (18 in total) are located before the wing, right after Polaris class. The seats offer wider cushions, a bigger recline and a footrest. Just the right amount of comfort to value for a long haul route.
Early morning of Sunday, November 19th, my flight landed in Santiago and Jerry’s Delta flight from Atlanta was right behind. After we cleared immigration and customs, the friendly Silversea team awaited us with easy to spot signage. A short 20-minute taxi ride later, we were in the check-in line at the W Hotel. So far so good…stay tuned for more on our way to Silver Cloud – our expedition ship – awaiting us in Puerto Williams tomorrow.
Planet Travel Blog 