Travel Brisbane to Seattle

Leaving behind the sad farewells, I endure the terrors of TSA before enjoying the pleasures of the overpriced duty free area. As usual, my plane is late and I have plenty of time to convert my remaining Australian change into US dollars before boarding my 767 flight to Hawaii.

We have been told that the plane is “full” but the forward cabin of economy has empty seats . We all move around and I end up with a aisle seat plus the window seat. The larger rear cabin is full of people joining a relocation cruise in Hawaii which goes via Tahiti and other exotic islands en route to Sydney

The engines sound a little labored as we take off but they settle down as soon as we are cruising around 33,000 feet. The plane is old and rather primitive without any of the luxuries normal on a flight heading to Europe. The sound channels do not work very well and we cannot hear any of the announcements from the crew; even on the cabin speaker system.

I have some tablets from my doctor “to help me sleep”. The airline has supplied us with earplugs. I have been informed by “a reliable source” that these tablets work best after a glass of wine so I make sure I have two beakers full of wine with my meal which consists of chicken and rice, a piece of cheese with a cracker and – the grand finale . . . .  a tim tam!!!!

I take the tablet and I don’t experience the slightest hint of drowsiness. So I take another one. That doesn’t seem to make any better either. No worries!!! I just sit there for nine and a half hours. I try sleeping on my side using both seats but that isn’t any better. Being in the forward cabin means that the continual slight turbulence doesn’t bother me – or is it the magic pills? – but, as usual, I hardly get any sleep.

I am SO happy when the plane begins its descent into Honolulu. Our “breakfast” was a bag full of goodies given to us by the cabin crew who did manage to rustle up a fairly decent cup of tea, thank goodness.

My interview with Homeland Security is NOT pleasant. I am given a stern warning before having my photograph taken. “If you overstay your visit by even one day, WE will hound you for the rest of your life!!!” Two years ago the Canadian border control took the date card out of my passport and apparently did not send it to Homeland Security. When I tried to enter the USA again soon after, the Homeland Security man gave me a long lecture, saying that I must stay away for over a year before entering the USA again. I had been good and had stayed away the required year despite an incident which made me want to return during that time.  I remember the comment by the Homeland Security before taking my photograph back then. “We have enough work to do with illegals without having to worry about YOU!!!!” But they are really a nice bunch of people trying their best to protect the USA giving me excellent advice and I DO appreciate it when he lets me in!!!!

Now I have a problem. During the journey, one of the cabin crew brought me a beaker of pineapple juice just before a turbulent bump which spilt juice all over my trousers. As the juice poured over on to me, I made efforts to escape from my seat but only succeeded on ripping one side of my trousers. The rip was over two feet long (OK about 600 mm or 0.6 metre for the rest of the world!) on my right hand side. I managed to get the cabin crew to give me a cleaning cloth but they did not possess any sewing skills or materials. I therefore approached the oldest and kindest looking lady in the airport bookshop for help. She had some sellotape which she used to tape the lengths of trouser together. Nice lady!!! I had bought the trousers from the Tommy Hilfiger Outlet two years ago for eight dollars but, as they had five pairs in my size, I bought the lot. So I now have one pair left in Brisbane and three pairs in Seattle. No worries about this pair!!!!

I had booked an aisle seat in the rear cabin for the flight from Hawaii to Seattle but, I manage to persuade a staff member to book me another middle seat in the forward cabin, hoping to grab any vacant places in front. He also gives me a little ticket which enables me to go through the TSA line where you do not have to take off your belts and shoes. The line for the normal TSA is about a hundred yards (We’re in the USA now!) long and the “quick ” line fills the departure hall and goes about fifty yards outside in the rather humid early morning air.

This time, it really IS a full flight. To get to the departure point we must all be scanned for vegetables and fruit!!! As I enter the plane, I ask if I can move to an aisle seat. Much to my amazement, they give me an aisle seat level with the back seats of the first class cabin. Fantastic!!! The short five and a half hour flight is not as awful as the previous nine and a half hour flight but the primitive “entertainment” is exactly the same as the first flight. First we see a film about Hawaii which seems to have been filmed in super-eight followed by “The Great Gatsby” and an episode of a TV soap. I really must try to see the Gatsby film again so I can find out what the characters are saying.

As we approach Seattle, the captain tells us to prepare for “turbulence just before we land due to a 120 knot jetstream”. As it is now over 20 hours since Brisbane and I am sitting almost at the front of the plane it bothers me little!! I breathe a sigh of relief as I greet the New World.