The November Adventure is Booked/ September 24, 2017

It had been my intention to return to Thailand in November, for a holiday, free from the usual work at the Orphanage. Because of the heated words and unbalanced minds of the North Korean leader, and his chief antagonist, mr Trump (small mr intended), I wanted to avoid the six to ten hours that one would normally be in the immediate danger zone, in an aircraft,if it came to actions, rather than nasty words. The falling debris from an August missile test missed one flight by ten minutes. The flight had just passed the zone of impact by about 60 miles. While it is, in my view, unlikely to happen, I do not wish to take the chance at this time.

In July, I received an email from United Airlines, informing me of the large pool of points on my file, and asking me to use or lose them by May 2018. I have been able to accomplish both objectives.

I am departing Ottawa on November 01, at 10;25 P.M., (2225), and flying with Air Canada to London. This is a trip of about six and a half hours. After about two and a half hours in London, I will take a Thai Airways flight direct to Bangkok. This will take about eleven and a half hours. It will be the first time I have traveled to Asia with only one stop, from Ottawa. It will also take about ten hours off the travel time. I will arrive in Bangkok at 0615 on the morning of November 03.

The return flight will be the same route and carriers, departing Bangkok on December 07, however, because we are then going into head winds all the way home, (usually prevailing westerlies), we will be almost two hours longer going into London, and over an hour longer to Ottawa. I depart Bangkok just after midnight, 0015, and arrive Ottawa at 3;15, (1515), on the afternoon of the same day. That makes for one very long day!.

United, Air Canada, and Thai Airlines are all part of a consortium of about 31 carriers known as "Star Alliance". These carriers all work together to make travel quite "Seamless", and use accumulated points interchangeably. That is why I am travelling on a free ticket, with these two airlines,with no United involvement, with airport taxes the only out of pocket expense.
Later in October, probably around the 20th, I will do an update as to what I will be doing, including some work on my Thai family' farm, and doing water park things in the Mekong river nearby, with the kids.....all of us.