Come on, it’s only a few hours, you can wait!
I was on a plane yesterday noticing through the see through curtain the antics happening in first class, not with a sense of envy as some might, but rather with a sense of wonderment or curiosity.
Generally I look at taking a plane ride as a way to rocket myself across the country in a short time when I do not have the time to drive the distance.
I used to really enjoy these rocket rides, they can be a big thrill and it is nice to be on the other side of the country in a few hours. But as of late, tsa has made this former fun transportation into more of a chore than a pleasure, so I have opted for a drive whenever time permits.
Yet it seems clear that some people look at transportation differently, some to eat, some to be waited on, and some I just haven’t figured out yet.
The difference between my cheapo Priceline ticket of $360 and a first class ticket is often a $300 to $700 upgrade. This difference is what makes me wonder why people fall into this trap of very expensive cookies, wine, and a meal that sometimes falls on the floor.
By the way while entering the plane through that very narrow door at the front I had to pause for a moment when one of the flight attendants had a little accident as she frantically prepared meals for the expensive seats and one of the trays spilled on the floor and a little into the walkway. She was a pro though and quickly picked it all back up and arraigned it on the tray before reapplying the plastic wrap.
Fortunately nobody in first class had the opportunity to see their $700 dinner hit the floor.
All of this for the short portion of the travel that is actually in flight, when the worst part of flying is sitting in those uncomfortable terminals.
The one advantage to these choice seats that often tempts me is the extra leg and seat room, both of which seem to be in short supply in the cheap seats.
There is a less expensive way around this though, talk nicely to the flight attendant, and you may just get to be that lucky fellow who flies over the wing and volunteers to pull out the window and create an exit if we should land on a patch of water somewhere.
I was happy to get two of these side by side seats on my flight from DFW to Madison today, lots of space for my legs and my backside, I even turned down the complimentary beverage as I enjoyed the extra space and a little nap time.
Waiting a few hours for a meal and a pillow did not harm me in any way, just made me appreciate what I have at home with a lovely wife ready to serve me a birthday feast and more, and it did not cost anything.
And tomorrow, I can take some of that $1400 that Nick and I saved and take my lovely bride out for a nice meal in Stevens Point, maybe even Belts Ice Cream.
Life is good!
picture credit
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_Airlines.Airline_meal.2005.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seats_on_an_airplane.jpg
Comments(24)