How the Other Half Flies

We got on the plane late Wednesday, bound for Dublin.  The tickets our friend booked for us said "Business Class."  I'd never flown anything but tourist before.

The last time I flew,  I remember what it was like.  I was crammed in the middle of about thirty other people, jammed in like sardines,  with small meals and little service.

I was a bit disappointed when I saw on the tickets that Joy and I were not sitting together. I told them at the gate but the lady said there were none together. Besides, she said, it didn't matter. I had no idea what she meant.

Then we were taken on the plane and we saw the seats, our mouths flew open. The reason we were not together was that every seat was its own plush, individual pod with its own computer screen, phone, and selection of channels.  There were complementary earphones.  The seats were spacious and had three positions-- seating, reclining, or bed flat.  Everything was designed so that we would be in our own little world of comfort. 

The stewardess came by with moist, hot towels so we could freshen up, before they offered us a choice of champagne or juice.  Later, she came by with our dinner menu. The choices were "stuffed zucchini,  grilled beef filet, terriaki glazed chicken,  pistachio stuffed tilapia, riccota stuffed mezzaluna pasta, and  for dessert, a choice of ice cream or cheese plate."  A far cry from tourist!

Before I got on the plane, I met an Irish businessman, traveling from San Francisco with his wife and three children. They had just flown four and a half hours and had another seven hour flight ahead. They were not able to book spaces together, so their kids would be scattered over the plane.  He was talking about how hard his flight had been, and how hard it would be. 

I thought of him, and the miseries of the lower classes seated in their misery behind me. 

I thought of them in the back of the plane, suffering in tourist class--for about a minute. Then the drink trolley came,  and I laid back to watch the movie.  

I could really get used to this.