At Seoul Incheon (ICN), almost ready to board for the daily service back to San Francisco. There is also an Asiana Airlines codeshare flight number for this flight.

Previously in 1994, the Seoul-San Francisco route on United was the route that allowed me to travel between my then-idol, Mariah Carey, and some of her big fans. This is a very sentimental route for me for that reason. That means this photo depicts my favorite airline, operating my favorite aircraft, out of my favorite airport, on my favorite route.

On most Seoul-US routes (especially Los Angeles and New York), Korean Air and Asiana Airlines run a duopoly, and are preferred by the Korean-Americans visiting their homeland, but their fares are quite high, and if one does not mind changing planes in San Francisco or Tokyo Narita, United is a less expensive and just-as-solid alternative. Oftentimes United 892/893 was the only nonstop flight between the US and South Korea operated by a US airline, as all other services came via Tokyo Narita.

Moreover, I cannot stand the Christian theocratic elements that would later take over South Korea in 2007. Korean Air is the airline for them, and their stateside Religious Right masters; I'll stick to United, whose "Lesbian-Friendly Skies" I had appreciated in 1999, and who would make a great middle finger to shove at the homophobic theocrats of South Korea's far-right government.

The empty ground in the background would gain a new runway, 16/34, in 2008, becoming Incheon's third and longest runway. At the same time, a satellite terminal was opened, and all foreign airlines, including United, relocated there. United would also upgauge this flight to a 747.

"Come fly the airline that's uniting the world. Come fly the friendly skies." (I certainly got to unite Mariah Carey with her fans on this route.)