The Flight

Our flight out of SFO is scheduled to depart at 1:05 this afternoon and we are, amazingly enough, running right on time. We get to the airport about an hour before flight time and quickly check our bags and clear security without breaking stride.

We promptly search out the Admirals Club, American’s lounge, and settle in to wait for our flight to start to board. Even though we only left the house 30 minutes ago Bonnie checks email and makes some calls, I sit and type this.

SFO to MIA

The first class is pretty nice considering that it is a domestic flight. The seats can actually be flattened if you want to sleep. We were given a personal DVR for movies (with Bose noise canceling headphones) and the food was very nice.

We arrived into Miami a little early and again sought out the Admirals Club and awaited our flight departure to Buenos Aires.

It sometimes seems that we actually travel from airline lounge to airline lounge rather than from city to city. I guess our point is that just because you fly from San Francisco to Miami enroute to Buenos Aires it doesn’t mean you actually go to Miami. You just kind of hang out in the lounge awaiting your next departure – you could be anywhere on the planet and not know the difference.

Miami to Buenos Aires

According to the monitor on the bulk head in front of us it is 4428 miles from Miami to Buenos Aires and the flight time will be about nine hours.

Funnily enough, the couple that was sitting in front of us on the flight from SF is now sitting behind us. They live in SF also, and are headed to Argentina to Mendoza for wine tasting adventures.

We both agree that this is the first class that we became accustomed to when we lived in Ireland and were frequently traveling trans-Atlantic. The plane from SFO to MIA was nice but this raises it up another notch.

Not only do the seats lie flat for sleeping, they also swivel so that you can work at your pull out desk with power port and desk lamp included. Also included are a bed pad, blanket, pillow and pajamas. Bonnie opted for the pajamas; Mark did not.

After 16 hours of travel from San Francisco to Buenos Aires, at 10:16 am (local time) on December 8, 2011 we touch down on our 6th continent.