ON THE WRITE PATH: travel journal for Around-the-World in 2015, 16, 18. |
I should've taken flight insurance, gone to my doctor, and cancelled this trip if so advised. Cattle Class (a.k.a. known euphemistically as "Economy Class") isn't for anyone who isn't 30, trim and slim and healthy. But, I'm a bit ornery and even worse... hard-headed. Merry got me to the airport on-time... which means I waited. That wasn't a problem. In Salt Lake I had enough time to grab food. Then they changed my seat to closer to the front. Okay... But LAX. The gate 31A was in a new area with poor wifi, non-existent food and in my opinion... poorly laid out. I had my long layover made miserable by my flight being delayed. Leaving at midnight is late... leaving after 2 a.m. is sure misery. Ah... seat 23C... aisle seat next to a young woman and child. Great! (We had a wonderful conversation) Until another woman showed up and it turned out there was another assigned to my seat. The steward, who I remembered from an earlier flight, came back... leaving the woman in 23C and changing me! 4C... I asked... is that an aisle seat? Well... he said "if you don't want it..." waving it around like a lottery ticket. So I moved to 1st class. 1st class isn't like Cattle Class. You actually feel human. The children were curled up and us adults sat in wide seats with two arm-rests apiece. The bathroom was nicer. The food? Well... my orange juice came in a GLASS cup! And utensils were metal! Better food and better service. It was time to take a nap. Which I did after listening to Sibelius (2nd Symphony, 7th Symphony, Finlandia). No problem getting through SJO. I arrived two hours late... but Bryan was there waiting for me. And then we took the bus... 1.631 |