The trip started off well. I had been trying for months to pay for an upgrade to first, which is apparently impossible because we used frequent flyer miles for our business class seats. Made one more attempt at check-in, which almost worked, and I even got to give them my credit card. But just as it was about to be charged, somebody called and said there was some little known rule that I could only do this with 48 hour notice. So even though there were plenty of empty seats in first, they wouldn't take my money and let us fly in them. But then at check in they just upgraded us to first for free. I will never understand the airline business.
The flights from Bangkok to Hong Kong to San Francisco were fine, but then of course we had to enter the hell that is the US aviation system. Took America West from SF to Las Vegas, "first class", which is of course a joke. Extreme discomfort, with the added bonus that the other six guys in first were all going to a bachelor party, and decided to start the party en route. There's nothing like being on a crappy airline with six drunk guys screaming after you've been flying for 24 hours already.
Since I couldn't sleep, I looked out the window at the desert scenery, which was pretty interesting, as was the abrupt way the Las Vegas suburban sprawl leaps up from nowhere in the middle of this wasteland. And of course the airport is pretty funny, chock full of neon and slot machines. Also got our first glance of "the Strip", which is surprisingly close to the airport. Looked like about a five minute walk from the airport to our hotel, but in the perpetual Vegas traffic, the cab took about an hour.
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