Air Canada Flight 452
Boeing 767 en route to Ottawa
June 2010
Okay, this was so worth the extra ten thousand Aeroplan miles! Of course I DID use them out of necessity to secure the flight times that facilitated my making this trip at all.... but I figured hey, if that meant flying executive class.. surely I could muster up the strength to get myself through the ordeal somehow ...!!
Earlier today, I got to nestle into one of the Maple Leaf lounge's leather armchairs and sip a gratis cappucino with the June issue of the Walrus draped brazenly across my lap thinking 'This is who I should be all the time,'. But who was I kidding.. I was much too enthusiastic to pull off first class lounge habituation. Most of the guests don't even realise there are windows up here let alone gaze wide-eyed out of them at the sight of all the planes taxiing around their ashphalt playground before disappearing into the vast celestial highway. I further exposed my naivety by proceeding to carry my empty mug to the dirty dishes bin and disposing of my shortbread wrapper in the wastebucket before returning my borrowed magazine to its home amongst the rows of wooden racks. I grinned as I imagined how the other travellers must have been chuckling at me from behind their illuminated BlackBerry screens as they left their own leavings for the wait staff's disposal. Okay, they probably didn't notice me at all! But I'm delighted that I made the effort to come check this place out upon learning that I had a half an hour before departure. (As it turned out, my flight was grossly delayed much longer than that due to the G20 summit that was in full rage that same weekend!! But I didn't allow that to put a damper on my experience. After all, it did provide the opportunity for me to see Air Force One, among other international aviation representatives, from my jet window, which was pretty darn cool!)
So upon finally boarding and encountering a much shorter aisle walk than I'm used to, I find myself sinking into one of these tidy little pods. My own little corner of avionic heaven! I smile at my inherited ability to stretch out far enough to place my feet against the footrest across from me. During the flight, I partake in every little perk that is cheerfully offered to me.. a selection of wines shortly after takeoff, a steamed hand towel draped over my fingers with tongs, oh my... is that a chocolate croissant she is bringing to me? ummm yes I'll have that! I can't believe some people get to fly like this all the time!! And they are so accustomed to it!! Indifferent even! Well, I sure am content to have created the opportunity to experience it once and I fully intend to squeeze from it every last drop of opulence that I can!
© Christine Mastroianni, all rights reserved