Returning our rental car to Budget at the newly built SeaTec rental car center was easy and hassle-free. It wasn't very busy that Saturday morning.
We encountered our first problems at check-in. United's computers seemed to have trouble with our two similar first names. After all, they only differ by one letter. :) However, we were eventually able to get our tickets, and our luggage was checked in free of charge.
UnitedClub Seattle
Thanks to Premier Access through my Star Alliance Gold status, we quickly went through FastTrack to the security scan. Once that was done, we headed towards Gate A14. On the way, we stopped by the UnitedClub. A really nicely designed lounge, unfortunately without a view of the apron. There was a bar where, typical for United, you have to pay for alcoholic drinks (except beer and wine). But it was too early for alcohol, even for me, even though it's vacation time. So we chose something from the breakfast buffet. Normally, United lounges are a "carrot and cracker" paradise, but here they even had muffins, bagels, and fruit. Great!
Flight UA 696 to San Francisco
After 20 minutes, we were already making our way back to the gate. Boarding for our group 1 was already finished, but we still managed to sneak in ahead of boarding groups 4 and 5. Our Airbus A320-200 (UA 698) was almost fully booked; the overhead compartments were packed.
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The A320 was equipped with inflight Wi-Fi. We would have had to pay for internet access, but entertainment and flight information were free via the browser. However, most movies require a separate United app for the iPad, so it's advisable to download this beforehand. As for service on the two-hour flight, there wasn't much to say: a round of drinks!
The most magnificent part of the flight was undoubtedly the view. We had perfect weather and, of course, window seats on the "right" side (A & B). A highlight was the cloudless view of the Golden Gate Bridge and downtown San Francisco.
Arriving in San Francisco, we realized the pilot could use a little more practice parking at the gate. After he'd brought the plane to a stop, he was unfortunately a yard too far back, so the jetway couldn't reach us. We ended up being towed again. But it's better to be too early than too late.
We then took the Airtrain to the Car Rental Terminal. Unfortunately, our rental company, Alamo, had the longest line. But after a half-hour wait, the paperwork was done, and we went into the parking garage. Alamo operates a "Choice Line" in San Francisco, so we could simply choose any car from the full-size row. The selection was limited, though; besides a few Toyota Camrys in various colors, a VW Beetle caught my eye. But the trunk of that car is a joke. We wouldn't even have been able to fit a suitcase in there properly. Just when I'd resigned myself to a Toyota, a white Chrysler 200 pulled up. We immediately rushed over before a Chinese couple could grab it. The trunk was nice and big, and the car was quite new, with only 4,000 km on the clock. A great feature, though it took some getting used to, was the keyless entry system.
