Lady Luck Loves us All… Sometimes.

Originally I thought there had to be some type of mistake on my boarding pass.  Traveling World Traveler Plus meant being in the front dozen rows according to my limited experience.  It was true for my flight to London from Seattle, to Entebee from London, to London from Entebee but apparently not from London to Seattle.  It was a bit disheartening to see 30B printed boldly on my boarding pass when I checked in early for my second leg in Entebee.  Ah well, I thought, at least for the first leg I’ll be in the front dozen.

I had spoken with a couple of other people involved in the project and they had flown down in Economy which tempered my upset.  I guess I didn’t need to feel special.  Anyways, despite the row number it still had World Traveler Plus as the listed class.

In Heathrow, after a 20 hour layover, I finally got to the front of the boarding line with the knowledge that I was traveling on a larger plane from London to Seattle than I had from Entebee to London and had resigned to the notion that row 30 really wasn’t so bad.  In fact it was quite fine.  Better than fine.

I handed my passport and pass over to one gentleman who handed them to another adjacent to him.  They were scanned.  Instead of a docile green light my pass was bathed in an ominous red.

A concerned look crossed his countenance.  He rescanned with the same red result.  Not checked in, he said mostly to himself.  His concern grew contagious.  Where are you come from sir?

Entebee, I said a bit timidly.

A contemplative cough and sigh.  Hmmmm, and you checked in there?

Yes, with the lady at the counter.

Hmmmm…

It was then that the amount of boarding passengers changed from obnoxious to ominous.

Well, said one, I’m sorry to say but, a heart pounding pause, you’ll just have to be upgraded.  Here you are sir, and he printed and handed me a new pass.

I can honestly say that it took a tiny period of time for the news to sink in.  I had already felt lucky to be traveling Plus but the next bump up was… Business!  A smile crept across my face, That’ll have to do, I said.  Thank you!  Those two men had little clue as to how close they came to a rib bruising embrace.

I felt like skipping, hell like dancing down the jetway but discression was the prudent course.  I passed a pack of Indian travelers being told they had too many carry-ons for such a full flight.  That’s right ladies, I thought, we’re all full up.

Perhaps a brief comparison is in order.  Economy is the tightly packed, partially reclinable section of the plane.  World Traveler Plus or ‘Plus’ to the practiced patron offers more elbow and foot room, a further recline in the chair and a fold out foot rest, really quite nice.  Now, business.  Is.  ’the Balls’.  Each traveler is given a personal pod.  Separated by a divider each seat fully reclines to a bed and instead of a foot rest folding out from the chair it is actually folded out from the opposite side of the pod.  There are three recline settings to each the seat and the foot rest.  Alcohol, free.  An actual menu, with options!  I had the duck.  If I weren’t alert to my potential allergy to lobster I would have had the lobster appetizer.  That’s right, appetizer.  There was also a desert but I was too full on fowl to fit the chocolate cherry trifle with strawberry sauce or the ice cream or the assorted cheese and biscuit bonanza.

I was handed a warm towel to wash.  And there was a wash kit with toothpaste, a real tooth brush, a sleeping mask, various lotions and a refreshing facial spritzer.  Damn.  Who knew I would want one?  Who knew I now couldn’t imagine my life without a refreshing facial spritzer?  There was even a personal power plug!

The elderly couple in the pods in nearest proximity were privy or perhaps subjected to my excitement.

The only dangerous thing, I said in preflight while putting my feet up, is that I could get used to this.

A waitress appeared.  Champagne?  Orange juice?  Water?

I made a mirthful face, Champagne.  Please.

I knew it, she said setting down the flute.  She smiled a big smile and moved on.  Champagne?  Orange juice?  Water?

Life.  Sometimes it can be laborious.  Sometimes luxurious.  All I can say is that it pays to have Lady Luck on your side.