August 13, 2006 8:22am by David Farrar

In San Francisco

Despite the recent heightened security, has turned out to be one of the best plane trips yet.

After leaving the Koru Club in Auckland there was a further security check just before the gate and I estimate there could be 30 minute delays there for some people. However as the SF flight leaves 30 minutes before the LA one, we got taken to the front of the line and only took a few minutes. Shoes had to come off, and a manual inspection of everything in my laptop bag but to be expected.

A final security check as you board the plane – just a visual ID.

I was in real luck on the plane. It was one of the new 777s and I have previously blogged how incredibly well designed the business class section is. Well even better there was one spare seat, so I was allowed to monopolise that one also by setting up my laptop in the spare seat (I had heaps of work to catch up on) and having my seat as a bed, so I could alternate backwards and forwards without having to move everything.

As there was power for the laptop, I didn’t read much on the flight. Almost finished “The Lords of the North” by Bernard Cornwell – a historicial fictional novel set in the time of Alfred the Great. Also watched a couple of Buffy episodes on their inhouse system.

I never saw Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby when it screened on TV, but managed to get hold of some copies of Series One I could view on the laptop.

My God it really is hilarious. It pokes fun at every sacred cow, and the Steve character is truly loathsome. The kids are great, and David McPhail hits he mark perfectly as Gormsby. It’s been a long time for there to be such a good local comedy – I just need to find Series II now.

Anyway back to the trip – landed in San Francisco and unlike LA, got through in around 10 – 15 minutes to the taxi stands, and now all checked in at the King George Hotel. The hotel is a basic three star, but very well priced (ie cheap) and located, plus has free broadband in the rooms which clinched it for me. I am outraged at how many hotels back home charge $35 for 50MB of broadband.