To the do ...
UA 171 BOS SFO 0600 0945 752 2D Ch 9 Y Empower N

It's hard to get to the airport at 5 in the morning without
paying an arm and a leg, so I took one of the last trains in
and camped out in the corridor between terminals B and C
until it got too cold to bear (Logan Radio hasn't penetrated
here, but apparently neither has the heating system) and
then moved to the relatively warm and relatively quiet arm
of C where the barber shop is. One of the Mr. Chickens said
he would open at 0200, but in fact he's on Denver time.
Checked in at 4 and hoped to get through security so I could
mooch on the RCC wireless, but it was employees only until
0430, when security was unfriendly but fast. Used the
T-Mobile until the club opened; said hi to Lynn and Annie;
boarded in the midst of boarding, which meant that I had to
put my rollaboard well behind my seat.

Put on my eyeshades and snoozed an hour; breakfasty smells
roused me. I stayed awake just long enough to chew down a
croissant (flaky but a little tough) and determine that
everyone else was breakfasting on either the famous cheese
omelet with sausage and potatoes or the famous fruit plate
sans yogurt. Then back to my stupor until Wyoming, when I
went forward to ask the cheery male FA (the female one was
grumpy) for a Courvoisier, which came warmed: it was harsh
as VS but fruity as VSOP, and I wondered in what way UA is
cutting corners. Pacing between the forward doors was a
mystery man in coat and tie and bundled up with a scarf,
looking kind of miserable. After I went back to my seat I
watched him for a while, lost interest, and went back to
sleep, lulled by the dulcet tones of Channel 9.

Woke to the pre-landing announcement - it's one of my joys
to listen to the communications between the airplane and
the tower on descent - and was just getting back into
things when I heard "Approach, er, tower, we have a ..."
followed by a swift cut to some inane bubblegum pop channel.
Shortly, we accelerated and took a big rising left turn,
leaving the airport behind, a slightly ominous occurrence
given no announcement until after the fact. Turns out the
flaps hadn't deployed or something (that was the word from
the front), and they had rectified the situation, and we
would be making a normal landing. I sighed. There is some
benefit to normality.

All the same, we came in early enough that there was no one
marshal us to the gate; waited about 5, but still we managed
to deplane 5 early.

Oh, it turns out that Mystery Man must have been some kind
of inspector or something, but his only interaction with us
was serving as headrest sheriff before landing.

The passage to the international terminal is a convenience,
shaving probably 15-20 minutes off. It's about time.

The RCC matron was welcoming enough and provided drink
chits without prodding - she must have been a sub or
something; when I left 30 min later she was gone.

Maker's Mark straight up. I used an old blue coupon and
saved the new gray ones for later.

Problems logging on to the T-Mobile, so I couldn't do FT.

They'd finished preboarding when I showed up, but there
was just room left in one of the minicabin bins for my bag.

UA 837 SFO NRT 1114 1530 777 9J Ch9 N Empower Y

mikew99 in 13J. Turns out later UAX@SFO was in row 26
and wwbgd's+1 was in 8H.

Somewhat perfunctory though not unfriendly service. Warm
nuts with seconds offered. Warm towels.

The hard product, as they say, wasn't special. Though the
seat was comfy as ever, the tray table wouldn't stay flat,
and my window was filthy. Also the entertainment system
kept doing weird things: sometimes it would st-t-t-tutter
like so, sometimes it would go off altogether except for
the magic channel 8. No channel 9, just dead air. And, as
the airline must be planning for the new cabins, the seats
were in a bit of a state, the upholstery so worn and flat
that it was hardly deserving the name. Recline was limited
a bit by the placement of the wall behind.

Piper Brut was just off-brut, pleasantly lemony and with
yeasty characteristics; a surprising whiff of wintergreen.

to begin
Smoked salmon, Genoa salami and vegetable crudite with a
sun-dried tomato dressing

This was just fine, the salmon being almost as good as
ever, flavorful, good texture, not too salty.

Fresh seasonal greens; Classic Caesar or balsamic Dijon
vinaigrette

Also just fine, though the little treat on top that one
got in the old days - a slice of sun-dried tomato, or a
couple shrimp, or a few asparagus tips - was absent.

main course
T Mustard thyme scented chicken; with warm horseradish
potato salad

Braised short rib of beef with red wine demi-glace; potato
pancakes and oven-roasted root vegetables

Washoku zen selection; appetizers of barbecued eel in
layered eggs, grilled scallop, lime-flavored beef
tenderloin, shrimp with vegetable sushi rice, poached tuna
with karashi miso, steamed leeks, buckwheat soba noodles
with marinated Japanese vegetables; a main course of salmon
teriyaki, braised tofu, simmered shiitake mushroom and
daikon, green beans, fresh julienne ginger served with
steamed rice and Japanese pickled vegetables; served with
green tea. Items in this meal may contain traces of MSG.

When making reservations on future flights to and from
Japan, you may secure the Japanese meal by pre-ordering.

I told the FA I didn't care what I got, but that my last
choice, whatever it might be, would be the T selection:
sacrificing any claim a 1KMM would have on the Japanese
meal to the delight of some lesser soul and the benefit
and longevity of the airline.

The short rib (one rectangular solid of chuck, cut from
frozen, about 5 oz, with another irregular piece about half
that size tucked underneath) was okay if a little resilient
and a little burned-tasting on the edges; the promised sides
were replaced by a flan-like thing (very eggy; rather tough)
and a vegetable medley of whatever was left over at the
caterers' - irregularly cut carrots; particularly hideous,
chalky (!) green beans; red pepper strips; and sad mushy
zucchini.

The guy next to me actually asked for the chicken: it looked
like something the cat dragged in, and whatever it was on
the side looked like something the cat barfed up afterwards.
He gave it a decent burial by putting his napkin on top of
it and sending it back.

L de Lyeth was pretty Cabernetty but very unclassic, with
overripe fruit and dried cherries; good tannin, a medium
sort of bright red fruit finish.

dessert
International cheese selection; Kerrygold Vintage Cheddar,
Port-Salut

Eli's caramel tiramisu

The cake bottom layer tasted more burned than coffee-soaked;
the cheesy topping was similar to that on various other
Eli's products. Courvoisier, quite harsh again, went with.

midflight snack: Assorted treats are available through the
flight. Hot noodles are available upon request

prior to arrival
Beef pastrami with baby Swiss on rye; oven-roasted
fingerling potatoes

A fruit appetizer was the usual thing; a hot pastrami and
Swiss was a not bad sandwich - decent bread (though soggy
in spots from reheating) spread with mustard, housing a big
block of bland cheese and a reasonable quantity of cured
beef round. The potatoes, served to my seatmate right on the
plate but to me in the paper warming cup, were inedibly hard
and cardboardlike.

Fresh seasonal fruit plate with creamy yogurt

T item designed especially for United Airlines by Charlie
Trotter

We apologize if occasionally your choice is not available.

1/09 LAX/SEA/SFO-NRT; SFO-KIX/NGO (LD83-S89E-L87)
260C003-3

featured wines

Champagne
Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV Champagne

Mumm Cuvee Napa Brut NV Napa Valley

White wine
Laboure-Roi Abbaye de Fontenay 2007 Montagny (Chardonnay)

Lockwood Vineyard Chardonnay 2007 Monterey

Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc 2006 California

Red wine
Jaboulet Le Paradou 2006 Beaumes-de-Venise (Grenache)

Firestone Vineyards Select Merlot 2005 Central Coast

L de Lyeth Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Sonoma

Sake
Gekkeikan Sake is available on flights to and from Japan

Beverages
Sandeman Founders Reserve Porto will be offered during the
main meal's dessert

Starbucks coffee will be available throughout the flight