About a year ago flying PHX-SFO on a United 737. We were on final, about 4 miles behind a 747, but since the pilots did not have him in sight, we had to go around. After flying a downwind leg for 30 miles, passing SJC and almost over Monterey, the captain keys the mic and says,
"Approach, United 123, are we gonna have to go back to PHX again before we shoot the approach."