We arrived nearly 15 minutes early in San Francisco from Portland. This was due to a 130 mph tailwind that pushed us down the coast. With so much time to spare, we decided to visit one of the many United Clubs at SFO. I did not take any pictures or videos because the place was full of people.
I had one pass left so I had to pay $59 USD for Nicholas to enter. I felt like that was way better than being at a random restaurant in the terminal for three hours.
Before too long, it was time for us to make our way to the gate for the final flight of our journey. Once we land in Houston, I will have been traveling for nearly 24 hours.
UA512
SFO – IAH
Takeoff: 0043
Landing: 0648 (+2 hours)
First Class
Flight Time: 3hr 45min
November 26, 2025
I assigned us the first row of first class, much like the last flight, but we were on the opposite side of the airplane this time…to change Nicholas’ perspective.
The general setup was the same but the finishes were dated. Most notably missing was the mini-divider, the small drink tray is black instead of white, and the tray table comes out of the inboard armrest.
Once boarding was nearly complete, the flight attendant working the cabin came around with a tray of water and orange juice. I do not recall being offered predeparture drinks from a tray on a domestic flight. Either way, nearly everyone turned down those two options.
There was an issue with two “jump seat” flight attendants. I guess there was someone already in the jump seat so they had to go to the back galley to wait since the flight was full. We pushed back from the gate five minutes ahead of schedule, it was at this point that the safety video was played.
We were delayed prior to enter the runway. After a few minutes, we entered the runway and had a smooth climb out.
The purser came around to take drink and food orders. I ordered a Tito’s and Sprite. The options for food were salad, chicken, or pasta (no other descriptions for these items). I went with the pasta.
While she continued to take orders, I checked out the WiFi. There was complimentary WiFi for T-Mobile customers. Did I miss this on my other flights or it is only on select aircraft. Either way, I quickly logged on.
The drink was served seven minutes later with a ramekin of warm nuts.
The pasta tray was served 20 minutes after the request was made. It contained tortellini in a red sauce, a side salad, banana pudding and a roll.
The tortellini was not bad but it is probably something that a passenger should not order on an overnight flight. The dish was way too heavy. The salad or chicken may have been the better options. I only managed to eat half of the dish and a piece of the roll.
After the tray was cleared, I fell asleep…upright, without a blanket. I slept a little over two hours. When I woke up, we were about to prepare for landing.
We had uneventful landing in Houston and with a short taxi, we were off to baggage claim for Nicholas’ bag. I hope my truck is easy to find. 😬
Final Word
This was one hell of a day of travel but it was all worth it. I was able to go to Oregon to pick up my son so that he could spend Thanksgiving with our family. I am forever grateful for the support of my friends and family as this has been a tough year.
With gratitude, Happy Holidays.
