Prologue

In July 2003, a client of mine - a highly-respected not-for-profit organization serving Pacific island communities - asked if I would travel to Pohnpei, capital of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), to make a presentation to their board. Micronesia? All expenses paid trip to a remote Pacific island most people have never heard of? Hell yes!

To top that, I get to tick off one more item on my bucket list: flying on Continental Micronesia's Island Hopper service. This flight is legendary among airline geeks. It operates between Honolulu and Guam with five (!) stops en route: Majuro and Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands, and Kosrae, Pohnpei and Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia. There used to be a sixth stop - Johnston Atoll - until the US decommissioned their facility there. Total travel time on the B737-800 that plies this 4,300 mile route is approximately 14 hours. I was bummed that I would not be able to fly all the way to Guam on this flight, but I can still claim bragging rights regardless!

The ticket my client purchased had me in Pohnpei for three full days plus two partial days. I was expected to make a presentation lasting an hour (not including prep and questions), and attend opening ceremonies for a conference and the odd function here and there. Beyond that, it was all free time!

My client’s travel agent initially booked me in BusinessFirst because the flight was fully booked, but a week before departure Economy must have cleared somewhat and I got an Economy ticket. Darn!

It was a long 9.5 hour journey to get from Honolulu to Pohnpei, but I was awake and excited every minute of it! The Guam-based flight crew are among the friendliest I have encountered.Read more