Sara Does Business Class

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So now that I work with this non-profit to help people in the developing world, rather than a for-profit to help people in the developing world, it only makes sense that I would now travel to Europe for meetings, rather than the actual developing world, and that I would go in business class, rather than economy class. You might not find much to favor in this administration, but at least they made people travel coach. Ha.

There is not much really to report about going to Switzerland, so I will focus my efforts on the experience that was business class, as that was completely new to me. Where to start… Arrive at Dulles - being the Thursday before a holiday weekend (Memorial Day), it was packed. What a long line to check in. Yuck. Oh wait, I can cruise up to the “Business Class” counter. With a simple “talk to the hand” to the economy class peons from the ticket agent, I am whisked up to the front. Check in, no problem, here, take these $20 coupons to have refreshments before the flight because we don’t have a lounge here. Um, okay, cool.

Another long line to go through security. Not for me and the non-profit. I lead the charge to the front. This scene repeats several times.
Then I’m on the plane. It doesn’t look like there is an actual “First Class”, but I’m not sure. It is Austrian Airlines, which doesn’t seem to have quite the market share that other airlines may have. Not to mention the 7 hours I spent in the Vienna airport on the way back from Yerevan were the most disgusting hours of my life. Hard orange chairs. Buzzing neon lights. People smoking all around me. No shops to look through, no restaurants to enjoy. Just an interminable wait in the pre-departure lounge. That airport looks very, I don’t know. Dungeon-y.

However, as I’m seated in my roomy chair and notice all the controls and huge overhead bins… The flight attendant comes by with champagne. I think, what better way to start my champagne campaign then this (but of course I’d need David with me to make it a true campaign). I get busy checking the movies. No Bollywood hits this time around. Very disappointing. But my focus then shifts to what all the seat can do. Of course I’m trying to look like I sit in business class all the time - but I’m playing with the massage button, the foot rest, moving the seat into the bed position, digging through my goodie bag, positioning my nice blanket and full-sized pillow. Can it get better then this?

We take off. The purser comes by to introduce himself, mention that he is also the sommelier for the flight. Leaves us with the menu for dinner and breakfast to make our selections. Then, they come by and put out table clothes for us, and a full course of silverware - 3 forks, 3 knives. First, we have delicious sushi, then they wheel an antipasti cart down the aisle, then curried pumpkin served frenched, which to those of you that didn’t cater, frenched means served from the main bowl into the individual bowl at the individual’s placesetting, then the main course. Then, another cart comes down the aisle with gourmet cheeses, desserts, I don’t know what all really, because I’m too tired and full to keep up. This and they are also constantly walking around with bottles of wine trying to get you to lush out.
I then slept, so who knows what all they were up to for most of the flight. It did not look like they had a party room like South African has though…

Business class to Zurich wasn’t very exciting at all, but I guess for only an hour, they think you’re a sucker for paying more just to get an extra bottle of water or newspaper.

Oh, and I saw Alex in Zurich!

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