Some you win!

I'm not a particularly tinny type. I don't score freebies, I sign up for stuff right before a 50% off deal is announced, and I missed the first home buyers' bonus by a matter of months. Sean is extremely tinny. So is my sister, who successfully booked Business Class seats for her and Dave 3 months out from their date of departure to Europe. When I was delayed in London before our wedding, I was told that First and Business seats are the first to sell on long haul sectors, and so I couldn't score an upgrade and ended up back near the rear toilets and practising my bridal waltz in the crew area.

But today, or yesterday, or, whenever (time zone limbo) was my lucky day!

It didn't start out that way. I boarded the plane only to find my assigned seat to be smack in the middle of a three-way child sandwich. There was a baby behind me, a little kid in the window of my row, and two under threes across the aisle. It was going to be a loooong 14 hours. Just as the baby was giving it some major lung and I was resolving to stay patient and view the experience as a huge tolerance test (and hoping that the parents had plenty of baby paracetamol on hand, or failing that, vodkas - all round), I put on my headphones and switched on the inflight entertainment system.

Only, it didn't work.

I should explain that I am somewhat of a Bermuda Triangle where inflight electronics are concerned - they seem to break down around me. The exact same thing happened on my flight over here last year. Back then, they moved me to another seat in Economy. But apparently this time I buttered up the right guy. After two attempted reboots, the handset was worse than ever, flashing randomly and acting like I had a satellite phone call incoming ("It's your mother" the FA joked. "Mum, I TOLD you I was fine!" I replied). 

The FA started looking around for another available seat. "Business or First is fine if that's all you have", I quipped drily as he passed me. He indicated that he had in fact just checked Business and First, but, surprise surprise, all the seats were taken.

But then!

He returned, grinning. "Are you ready? Follow me!"

I grabbed my stuff and trotted behind him as instructed, only to find myself moving past every Economy seat.....and the Premium Economy seats.......only to walk smack into one of those Business Class capsule seats. Yes, those ones that FULLY RECLINE TO HORIZONTAL.

I pulled my jaw off the floor, gave the FA one incredulous-come-grateful look, and dived in there pronto, before they changed their minds!!!!!! I spent the next two hours with a goofy winner's grin plastered all over my dial.

(I was almost scared to admit that I somehow extended my Bermuda Triangle powers to render the entertainment system in my new seat also useless [!], but when I did they simply moved me one capsule back. And then the remote in the second new seat got jammed. But at least the system worked).

Far out.

It's true what they say - once you've been in the pointy end, you can't go back to cattle class. I had more leg room than I knew what to do with - not that my legs were even on the floor: thank you, recliner system. There was space under the capsule in front for all my hand luggage. I had a personal magazine/newspaper rack, a personal reading light, noise-cancelling headphones, a shelf for my shoes, classy food with real cutlery and linen, a bookshelf for the inflight magazines, and a set of seat controls that occupied me for the next two hours as I nutted out what button performed what miracle - including within-seat massage. I started giggling hysterically when I found that one. It was all too much.



For this little arthritic bean, who usually arrives after long haul flights feeling crippled, the ergonometrics were APPRECIATED. As were the two sleeps I had in a totally horizontal position, as snug as a bug in my capsule. I could even roll over.

I watched "Another Year", "No Strings Attached" and "The Kings' Speech" as well as a documentary about forest-dwelling elephants. I read my book with my own little within-seat book light.

It was the only time I wished a long haul flight was actually longer.

I really felt sorry for all the bloodshot-eyed, muscle-stiff, Economy passengers as they filed past me once we landed to a beautiful morning in San Francisco. I tried not to look too smug and refreshed as I folded my extra-thick blanket and extra-soft pillow (but I kind of lowered myself by taking iPhone photos of the seat).

It might not happen again in a hurry, but man, I'm grateful it did - not least because I then proceeded to have to negotiate for over half an hour with the rental car people. Suffice to say, I emerged triumphant with what can best be described as a miniature truck (that was their idea of an upgrade from a 2-door compact), and enjoyed a most pleasant drive down to Santa Cruz, singing along to the radio to ensure I stayed awake. I found my little cottage with no problem, thank you Mister GPS, but couldn't nut out the network key for the promised WIFI, so I drove into town and am currently installed in my favourite cafe - the Asana Tea House just off Pacific Ave, where I've had a yummy split pea soup, vegetable Vietnamese rolls, an apricot herbal tea and the biggest organic strawberries I've ever seen: 

I'm tired but I'm nowhere near the complete steamrolling a stint in Economy avec babies would have dealt me.

Bring it on!!

P.S. I just had my first glimpse of royal wedding photos. Nice, but relatively understated, I thought.