LETS DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN! Later on in the flight, Willard stares intently at the IFE screen, as the International Date Line approaches, and we skip forward by a whole day! It's like a TARDIS (but with lots more Champagne).

Mid-Flight, Willard finds the snack trolley, for all his midnight snack needs.

As we approach ever nearer to Sydney, Willard sees the sunrise from 35,000 feet as we cross the terminator.

One last shot of the United First Class Suite before we disembark at Sydney. And to sum up, given that this was one of the first "Suite Concept" seats intruduced (hot on the heels of BA in the late 1990s) it is fair to say that it has stood the test of time well, and still represents a good overall concept for First Class seating. The IFE is looking terribly dated, and the rest of the in-flight service is showing signs of ever larger corners being cut (which was made up for, on our flight, by a very professional and attentive crew). If only UA could stop it's race to the bottom and start resisting the temptation to keep Nickel and Diming all of the aspects of the service, this still represents the basis of a competetive First Class service. On the other hand, comparing it to the Lufthansa flight yesterday, once LH updates it's seating, Willard fears there will be no contest, and UA F-Class cabins (at least to Frankfurt and Munich) are likely to be full of Awards, Upgraders and UA Staff, such a waste of some fine ergonomics.

Access Denied! Willard is turned away from the United Lounge (the highly inaccurately named "Red Carpet Club") even though he has just arrived in United First, is travelling onwards in Business Class with another Star Alliance Carrier, and has (by proxy) Star Alliance Gold status. This shows such complete disregard for the Star Alliance Lounge Access Rules that it is bear-ly believable! To add insult to injury, in order to question this policy, we were made to stand in the foyer like naughty schoolboys until the Headma.... sorry, Supervisor arrived, which, of course was destined never to happen as they never actually called him! Fellow frequent flyers will understand the irony of the "Star Alliance Gold" logo outside the lounge...... to be continued (if we ever get into a lounge to get online...