Come Fly With Me...

---

You might be forgiven for thinking that arriving at Heathrow 7 and a half hours early is somewhat excessive. But the other half really do know how to live it up at the airport so I'm sure you would have done the same - given the opportunity (or the gold membership to the Virgin lounge...)



Arriving through a private members entrance three men rushed over to take our cases before we were whisked to a private front desk to check in. The 'check in' desk looked more like the front desk at the Ritz than an airport check in and within 3 minutes we were walking down to security (that's right - walking - what's that all about!! 'Princess Shiri'😉. Within minutes we were through security and in the lounge.



Having had a walk around checking out the pool table room, the TV room which boasts 5 giant screens, the restaurant, the buffet bar, the sky lounge, a garden, several 'chill out' areas with dvd players, ipad's and charging stations, and the bar (all for free!! 7 and a half hours doesn't sound so long anymore...) we headed to the spa to book our treatments - Shiri - a wash and blow dry, Mark - a hair cut, shave and a back massage (which one of us is the girl??).



Feeling more relaxed (and clean shaven), a few cocktails, a lot of food and some duty free shopping later we head onto the plane. In our own private individual pods (which the air stewards later convert into beds) we realised that with all the extra comfort in the world there is no getting away from the fact that we are all crammed onto a tin can together - the incessant cougher, the chronic snorer and the whinging kid can be found in any class of travel. Turblence is still petrifying (and even more so experienced when lying down) and the bed looked and felt a bit like an ironing board! With one exception - when the rich kid girl sat in front of us started shedding a couple of crocodile tears about the turbulence the captin was summoned to come and talk to her - sat at the end of her bed, explaining to her in soft tones and with the help of diagrams and drawings (noch!!) that she is perfectly safe.

And so 12 hours later we land at Cape Town.

---