Aboard UA652 ... BOS to DEN

It’s exactly noon and we are in the air. The Boeing 737-800/900 that is our air-chariot is winging it’s way to DEN. The announcement from the cockpit said we'll be landing in Denver in 4 hours and 19 mins. Add a couple of hours to collect bags, get an Uber, and drive to Colorado Springs ... we should be home by 5:30p ... thanks to the two-hour time gain going from EDT to MDT.

Speaking of the bags ... they are on the aircraft. Since we turned our bags into United last night after going through customs, we were keeping 🤞🏻 that the bags would make it onto the plane this morning. It was such a relief to see them rolling up the conveyor belt and into the belly of the airplane.

Our departure from BOS was timely ... push back at 11:40a ... wheels up 15 minutes later. I got one misty glimpse of the Boston skyline before we were above the cloud deck.

Although the four-row first class cabin is full — 16 pax in all — most of the occupants are UA employees ... flight crews deadheading to Denver and points beyond. We’re in the last row again ... no one to sneeze on us and a solid bulkhead between us and the economy cabin. One of the UA pilots switched seats with me, so Mui and I are sitting together instead of across the aisle from each other.

I can’t see into the economy cabin, but based on the number of people waiting at the gate, I will venture to say that there is plenty of social distancing ... I’m sure the middle seats are all empty. Had we not been upgraded, we probably would have been just fine in the exit row seats we originally had.

A flight attendant has come around to take our lunch order. But the pilot has requested that the crew take their jump-seats as he has been unable to find a route around the thunderheads in the area. He’s expecting a bumpy ride for the next hour or so. It has indeed been a bit turbulent ... not too bad, however.

LATER ...

Somehow the captain found us a way around the bumpy patch — at least long enough for the meal service to be completed. I’ve always been curious about how tandoori chicken tastes, so that’s what I selected ... the other option was a salad topped with chicken breast. The verdict on tandoori? It’s a tad spicy for my palate.

No real entertainment system on this aircraft ... except on eDevices. I’m not going to mess with that. I’ve got 📖 and ✍️ to keep me occupied for the 2+ hours remaining before we land.

More when we're on the ground.Read more