Business class, don't mind if I do!

Transatlantic flights is something I have kind of got used to over the years since I started my PhD.  In total I have been on 8 such flights in 4 years, that is a lot of time sitting down.  But never had I ever been anywhere other than cattle class, which is probably the best place for me when I am travelling in stinky field clothes and walking boots!

This time it was different, oh so very different.  I was flying Business Class. You know those seats that you always walk past when you get on the plane which look like little pods.  Oh it was amazing, but I will get onto the plane experience in a moment.  First I will try and describe amusement of the airport and the feeling of not belonging.

So when I arrived at the airport I had to use a real person to do the check in procedure instead of an automated machine.  As she checked me in she noted "You know you are in Business Class right?" but from examining her face I could tell she was thinking "How are you in Business Class?!?!".  I was not dressed in a suit, I had holes in my leggings and a "cool" (Rob thinks its stupid) hat on.  Definitely not the normal attire for a Business Class traveller.  In fact, I stood out so much that I was asked on four separate occasions to show my boarding pass to see if I was meant to be there.  Then I made my way to the Lounge area.

The lounge

Free food, drink (alcoholic), free newspapers, free wifi and a whole lot of comfort.  There were huge sofas where you could lie out on, a great view of the airport and london.  To be honest, it was pretty cool.  I think I mostly was walking around with my mouth open or stuffing it with food.  It was great.  The free food/drink continued on the plane with a glass of champagne before we set off!

Champagne before take-off

The seats were like futuristic pods where everything was controlled by buttons and there were secret compartments.  Well, it was more like the futuristic idea people had in the 1970s and popped into Sci-Fi movies.  Nevertheless it confused me so much that I ended up being signalled by another passenger across the plane about how to put up the divider between the seats. I also couldnt work the foot stool for the first hour of the flight!  But then I managed to get horizontal (oh yeah those seats go fully horizontal) and chill out to some bad movies.

The starter of my lunch

The lunch menu was handed around (yep...menu! There was choice and more free drinks!) along with a vanity kit for the flight (sample sized bottles of expensive face creams and the like).  All in all it was an odd but extremely pleasant trip and despite not sleeping much I was pretty with it the other end, the miracle of Business Class!