My only saving grace on the immediate flight back home was that I had the entire row to myself. Actually, the flight itself was fairly empty with what felt like 1/3 of the cabin filled. Being able to stretch out and lie down to get some proper rest was a welcome change of pace.
One thing I learned is that although United had a great selection of entertainment options, 16 hours is a long flight. I can’t say I was bored but I was certainly getting restless after about 12 hours. If you’re travelling with children, this may not be the ideal flight.
Would I do it again? If I’m in an absolute bind, yes. If I were lucky enough to get on flights that aren’t full, then it really isn’t that bad. But I don’t even want to imagine how arduous that flight must feel if I were stuck in the middle.