day 108_frequent flyer

January 2nd I was still in the air. Due to the time difference, I lost most of a day while in flight (so it sounds longer than it actually is...)

I flew United Airlines this trip, and although it is not the most luxurious airline I've flown with (ie, definitely not my first choice), I think I've officially become a loyal customer. In order for me to ever benefit from my long overseas flights, I simply must choose a favorite airline carrier. Due to the cheaper ticket prices and rewarding customer loyalty program... United Airlines has somehow won the draw. My round trip flight for the Christmas holiday tallied nearly 17,000 frequent flyer miles. At that rate, it won't take long to start seeing some rewards - thank goodness! I'm hopeful that by next year I will be eligible for the free upgrades to business class :)

Of course, mid flight was around the time I realized that I had left my camera in Texas. Darn it. At least I still have my dependable camera phone -

My view over Canada.

Unfortunately my flight back to Taiwan connected through Chicago, rather than connecting through San Fransisco like my flight to the US. On the flight from Tokyo to San Fransisco, the route is more direct, flying near land, but mostly over the Pacific. In contrast, the flight from Chicago to Tokyo flies further north, crossing Canada, Alaska, and the outlying islands then curving back down to Japan. It is both a longer route, and slower due to the direction of the winds. The only good thing about this northern route was the view, and for whatever reason, we seemed to be flying pretty low for the majority of the flight. I loved being able to see the snowy cascading mountains out the window. I've never really spent any time in Canada (nothing more than a day) but I would love to visit. From my seat I could literally see the lines below where large pieces of ice had cracked. The views were spectacular and at least the sight helped to pass some of the time.