Flying with the Blue Moon

My return journey from Mexico to Ohio on Thursday was marked with none of the cancellations or delays which have plagued so many travelers.  

When I checked in online 24 hours ahead of time, once again I was able to upgrade to an "economy plus" seat for both flights without any charge.  My frequent flyer status makes me eligible for upgrades, but that has only rarely occurred on the day of travel at the airport.  On my flight down to Mexico this time, I accidentally discovered that I could change to a seat with more legroom the day before without paying more.  I don't know if this is something new, but I was happy to get a more comfortable seat at the standard economy price.

My flight from Mexico City was not scheduled to leave until 11:35 AM.  However, Alejandro and I left for the airport around 7:30 when he returned to the house after taking his sister to work.  Although the traffic was very heavy, we were at the terminal by eight.  I needed to check my luggage, but there was no line at all at United desk.  We had plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast.  My husband and I then said farewell, and I went through security.  There was no line there either.  My flight began boarding on schedule, and the plane pulled away from the gate just a few minutes late.  Not only did I have an "economy plus" seat by the window, but there was no one in the middle seat... so it was a very pleasant flight.

It was a cloudy and hazy morning.  I was seated on the right side of the plane, which, if conditions had been ideal, would have afforded me a view of the volcanoes as we took off.  But I was barely able to see sprawling eastern suburbs of the city before ascending above the clouds.

The sky cleared as we made our way northward along the gulf coast.  Soon we were making our descent into Houston.  

The only unpleasant aspect of the entire journey was at Houston Airport.  I used to be able to zip through immigration and pass through security effortlessly there.  Now (I don't know if it's because of the hour of my arrival, or because of the renovation of the terminals) I would rather travel by way of Chicago's infamous O'Hare Airport than through Houston.  Fortunately, I had a three-hour layover, so I never feared that I would miss my connection.  There was a fairly long line to go through immigration, although it moved steadily.  I had no problem picking up my suitcase, passing through customs or rechecking my luggage.  After that you go up an escalator to go through security again.  However, a long, snaking line was formed before reaching the escalator, and people were allowed a few a time to go up the escalator.  There you were met with an even longer line waiting to go through the checkpoint.  It was one of the longest waits I have ever had to go through security, and by the time I had passed through and took the train to the terminal for my next flight, half of my layover had been eaten up.

I had a pass to use the United Club lounge, where I could relax and have a free lunch.  However, there was a sign outside the lounge saying that they were not accepting day passes that day.  So, searched for someplace to have lunch.  Another thing I don't like about the Houston Airport now is that all the nicer, sit-down restaurants have gone annoyingly high-tech.  The only way you can order is by scanning a QR code onto your smartphone, order from your phone, and pay by credit card.  Sorry, but no!  I went to a fast-food place and ordered a sandwich.  By the time I finished eating, it was time to head to the gate where my flight to Cleveland was scheduled to leave.

We were a little late in boarding and taking off, although we still arrived in Cleveland ahead of schedule.  Once again, there was no one seating in the middle seat.

Taking off from Houston

As night fell, I looked out the window and saw the moon rising above the horizon.  My attempts to take a photo were not very successful.

If you have been following this entire trip, you may remember my early morning departure via Chicago on August 2nd when there was a full moon outside the window.  This month we had a "blue moon" (not a reference to the moon's color, but to the occurrence of two full moons within one month).  Actually, the full moon was the night before, but it still looked pretty full as I looked out the window on my way back to Cleveland.  It seemed to give a sense of symmetry to the journey... flying out with the full moon and returning with the (nearly) full moon.