Running an Airline or Building Cars: The Perils of Legacy

Running an Airline or Building Cars: The Perils of Legacy

This weekend my family and I toured the factory in Fremont, Calif., where Tesla Motors produces its electric cars. I was enthralled. Through it all, I couldn’t help but make the airline comparison. Tesla certainly blows away the automotive competition, but they...

Santa’s 747

2014 threw some major personal challenges my way, and by the time I got to the finish line this December, I was just plain beat. I gave myself a rest, and, right on cue, an experience came my way that was pretty magical and a reminder of the wonder of travel and how...

Chengdu and Chicago?

Huh? you may wonder from the headline. Well, I’m catching up on posts about my trip on United’s inaugural flight from SFO to Chengdu, China: My piece on Chengdu and whether it compares to Chicago went up on SFGate yesterday. You can check it out here to...

Why I Bought Melatonin Today

Today I bought a bottle of melatonin. It’s a grape-flavored bottle of hope. Getting a good night’s sleep has become increasingly elusive for me, despite observing best practices. Add travel to the mix—including crossing the dateline a few times—and my trip to...
The Stranger in the Next Seat: Rock-Star or Bore?

The Stranger in the Next Seat: Rock-Star or Bore?

Last week I sat in the San Francisco Chinese consulate office amid a large crowd, and I did something unusual. I asked the man next to me a question. Serendipity struck: He was a United Airlines flight attendant and I was there on United business, too, for an upcoming...