The Longest Layover

Ah, back in the Big Mango!

I always book my tickets home months in advance, and always look for good deals. A round-trip ticket from Thailand to the US for under $500 sounds too good to be true, and it is. However, I love cheap airfare, and don't mind a long layover or two if it means saving money.

This time, I flew from DFW to LAX early in the morning before a 14-hour layover. Later, after a long but comfortable 15-hour flight on Xiamen Airlines, I landed in China for another 8-hour layover in the airport.

I got my transit visa and settled down for a delicious Chinese lunch and a can of Tsingtao Beer at a restaurant in the terminal. For lunch, I enjoyed a plate of royal ginger duck, beautifully presented with veggies, peanuts, and a lovely flower for garnish.

royal duck with ginger - my delicious lunch at Xiamen Airport

coming in for a landing

Needless to say, when the plane finally touched down in Bangkok, I was thrilled! Surprisingly, this was one of the more comfortable trans-Pacific trips I've taken. All of the flights were smooth, the food was nice, in-flight entertainment was good, and Xiamen Airlines service was top-notch. All in all, a good trip!

And now I'm home for the final days of the Year of the Pig, settling back in to life in Thailand and ready to make the most of 2020.