Traveling First Class -- For a Change

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Ah, yes, life is tough. We use British Airlines VISA accounts for everything, so have managed to save up enough miles/points for a period of years to fly across the Atlantic first class. These privileges aren’t long for this world, in that most of the international airlines apparently plan to combine first and business classes. Ah well, it was nice while it lasted.

Maggie shared in the loot, as she’s staying at a boarding kennel in Knoxville which specializes in pampering its “guests” according to their needs. We’ve already received emails saying that she’s doing very well and that they’re having a wonderful time giving her treats. Her Aunt Michelle says she’ll visit on the weekends. Knowing Michelle and knowing that Maggie won’t getting her daily 3 mile mountain walks, I anticipate diets for both of us when we return.

As we entered the Boeing 777, we were escorted to our “suites”, given tours of the place, handed some goodies, and offered champagne or any other drink we wanted. They put our daypacks into overhead bins, but amazingly, our champagne glasses stayed on the sidetables through taxi and takeoff. Tom and I had a corrugated shade between us, so he could watch movies while I read if we wanted to be separate, but mostly we just compared the offerings: “What did they just give you?” “What did you order for an appetizer?” “Was that a good wine?” This kind of service would have been great on the 15 hour flights we took from Atlanta to Seoul; there was almost not enough time for cocktail hour, dinner, sleep, and breakfast. Tom had a full English breakfast and I had a frittata. Dinner was cool: hot entrees of beef, chicken, and fish were offered, plus a shrimp salad. Tom chose monkfish, but it was gone by the time they got to me, so I ordered the beef. My “servant” – he was more than a flight attendant -- came back about 10 minutes later and told me that he had “found” some sea bass and would that be OK? My question: where the heck did he find sea bass on an airplane?? They apparently have a chef (and a freezer) on board. After dinner, my servant suggested I visit the restroom while he made my bed, and at breakfast time, the only problem was that two of the women in first class must have taken complete sponge baths in the lavatories – they were in there forever! The beds were created as the seats slid down and a stool came from the far end of the “suite”. We had featherbeds and pillows, plus another quilted cover under us.

At Heathrow, we had a six-hour layover, but we spent it in British Air’s first class lounge, which has private rooms and showers, plus a restaurant, massages and beauty treatments, all free. On the flight to Madrid, we were offered a real British tea, including freshly baked scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream. At Madrid, Tom had a car and driver waiting for us, another luxury, but one that we appreciated, as we really didn’t want to negotiate the subways to the middle of the city at night.



At this point, we left the luxury route and moved to the usual Tom-and-Sandy mode of travel. We stayed in a hostal, on the third floor of a business building with a great wood door with a speakeasy opening. Next morning, we made our way to the train station to head to Galicia, on the northwestern coast of Spain.

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Photos

Bon Voyage!
Tom in his true environment. Right now he's hungry and we're in Ferrol and none of the restaurants open until 9:00 pm and he can't eat!!!

Sandy, whose legs are too short to reach her stool
Really! Luckily, the seats are low enough that her feet reach the floor, unlike on an earlier United flight.

Dinner Starter
Scallops, served in addition to the appetizer, entree and dessert.

Stretched Out
I took this picture with my camera minus flash. Those are my feet way down there.

Sandy Breakfast
I chose a fritatta.

Tom Breakfast
Tom chose a full English breakfast: sausage, potatoes, egg, etc. etc. etc.