A mighty long airplane ride to Beijing

Denver to Beijing 

We got to the airport nice and early and breezed through Security. The DEN TSA seemed really well staffed. Then we made our way to the United Club and had some coffee and oatmeal. We made sure we arrived at our departure gate in plenty of time and as expected this is a very full flight. 

When we boarded the overhead compartment by our seats was full so we got to place our bags about 16 rows back. Would not mind if our connection was not tight in SFO. Anyway we had a mechanical issue and got off a bit late. At takeoff it showed us 12 min behind schedule. 

We landed about 15 min late and our carryon bags were placed about 16 rows behind us. I gave Lynn the small carryons and told her to go to our next gate as we were high up on the upgrade list.  I swam upstream to get the larger bags. Several nice passengers grabbed our bags and passed them forward to me. There were several of us in this situations. 

We landed at the gate 61 and our next gate was 102. Yes just about as far apart as one can get. I hustled to the gate and caught up with Lynn before she got to the counter. It was them I learned Lynn thought the distance was about a mile. Our position on the upgrade list was 3 & 4, when we learned the flight had been delayed by an about an hour or more. We were soon called to the counter and upgraded to United Polaris Class. The gate agent suggested we head to the Polaris Lounge as it was going to be a while and the delay became longer. Who are we to argue.  

At the Polaris Lounge we had some snacks and a drink, The Polaris Lounge is a significant upgrade from the UAL Club Lounge. Here there complimentary top shelf drinks, excellent snack options and even a dining menu. The sushi was nice. The phone buzzed with a message our flight was boarding so off we went to the gate and were onboard settling into our groovy comfy little cubicles. There are so many buttons to push I had fun exploring their functions. The Polaris amenities are very nice, slippers, memory foam pillow, regular pillow and a couple nice blankets, as well as the standard amenity kit. Yes the seats lay flat. This will make the 11-12 hour flight more comfortable. 

The amenable flight crew took our meal order, Lynn got a chicken bowl and I asked for the short rib and grits. Arrival cards were passed out and filled out so we would not be rushed upon landing. 

We arrived in Beijing about 40 minutes late and customs always seems to take a bit of time, then train to terminal for baggage claim, then to find the Metro Station, (not well marked), then a two transfer trip into the city.  We arrived at our hotel at 1900 (7:00). We did notice the gridlock of Beijing traffic when on the Metro. The stations were a bit crowded but manageable. 

Dengshikou is our Metro station on Line 5, and our hotel, the Novotel Peace Beijing, is a short walk away. We have stayed at this property before and like the Novotel/Accor properties when traveling abroad. The rooms are very adequate and breakfast usually is included. We have stayed at this property before and like the location. As I said, it is close to a Metro Station and one can even walk to the Forbidden City if desired.  

The Lobby

Doesn't take us long to mess up a room :)

Our view to the East 

Beijing is a very easy city to navigate via the Metro and works very well for us. It can get crowded and very busy during peak times. 

I should mention bottled water is a must in China. Most hotels will provide a couple small bottles for use in the bathroom, and will leave a couple 1 liter bottles for a charge of 58-70 Yuan. We stopped at a local mini mart and got a 4 liter jug for 13 Yuan. 

We are settling in, doing laundry and ready to sleep. 

Thanks for following along and we will see where the day takes us tomorrow.