Remember back in grade school (man I sound old using that word) when the kids that sat in the front of the bus always got made fun of? I never resonated with the logic behind that - first one off, smoother ride, bus driver as a friend - at least for elementary, I thought I was such a winner scoring the front seat of S-12 with bus driver Marie!! But really, is there any other situation in American life where being first is not the goal?? Definitely not here.
Idea I’m pondering: once you go first class, do you ever go back?
Yo' girl is on her way to Japan for part work, part travel! And yes, I have been completely spoiled and am in first class, currently lounging out (without any touch points to strangers-HUGEEE) with some Breakfast Club playing in the background. What work offers, thou shall taketh!
So I'm here, 30-year old Jen in a sea of upper middle-aged, slightly overweight white business men. You know, I still don’t understand how people travel in business attire. Especially for a flight like this - THIRTEEN hours. But then again, they do have pajamas and slippers to change into, so maybe that's their strategy :P Sport the United apparel while on board & change back before we land! Or maybe they shop the “business” section of Athleta (IYKYK). Anyways, I'm easy to spot, and I sort of feel like I imagine a minor who flies feels, with their attentive flight attendant watching over them, just waiting to hand out another turkey sandwich.
It's truly an experience though. Would I ever pay for it? As of yesterday, I would say absolutely not - I mean the price tag itself would be hard to swallow on my own dime (~8x a regular fare), but we'll see how I feel after my 2 experiences (United now & Delta on the way home). The thing with traveling to Japan is it's a LONG ASS ways away - on the other side of the world for those geo limited folks - which means the mornings and nights are pretty much opposite. So the fact that this seat reclines into a BED is just hard to put a price tag on.
With the time difference being so extreme from MN to Japan (14 hours ahead), I have been working on a strategy over the past couple days. I have also simply accepted that my body is going to be effed; I know how this works; 4AM grocery runs and banana bread making parties. But luckily, I do have ~1.5 days in Japan before I need to report to work, although I do need to make it on a 5hr train sometime in there. All of that to say is my strategy these past couple days has been to stay up late and then wake up early. 1) it exhausted my body so I was tired when I got on the plane and 2) I maybe even got a couple time zone acclimation hours under my belt. The plan is being executed quite well! I slept from MSP to Chicago and then basically had to run through O'Hare (horrible airport and horrible signage) back through security to get to my gate right when my zone was boarding. And then watched a movie, slept for a few hours, and am not up and energized!!! Just as it's getting to be night time in MN :)
Anyways, back to First class perks, here is my assessment (United specific):
Seclusion - you have your own "pod", so there is no rubbing elbows, asking people to move to pee, or catching people's heads as they fall sideways into deep dreams. You are your own cramper of style!
Comfort - you've seen these pods as you walk to the regular people sections. The space, the seat, the pillows & blankets - just staring at your saying "come and get me", but this time I got to get it :P I even have room to do some stretches and elevate my feet comfortably. I felt like a kid in a candy store, but tried to act like this is a totally normal part of my flying experience (doubt it worked).
Sleep - as mentioned, the seat fully reclines into a bed! Eye masks, slippers, double blankets at your fingertips. For a destination that is opposite sides of the world and more than 12 hours in fly time, this is HUGEEEEE.
Entertainment - probably not a lot different here, but you get over the ear headphones which is nice & the screen is larger with a remote. The lap desk this computer is on is also larger and tucks away nicely.
Essentials - you get a little goodie box of essentials for the ride: toothbrush, sleep mask, socks, face wipes, etc.
Drink - we took off in Chicago and I had a glass of red wine in my hand - adios America!
Food - so far, not bad. They definitely serve fancier options to first class folk. When I sat down, I had a menu in front of me with options that they took my order from before we even took off. Side salad and dessert included. One of the desserts was an ice cream sundae - seems excessive.
Storage - you have your own overhead storage bin; for me just having backpacks, this isn't that critical but it is nice & I just put all of my stuff up there and can easily get up and grab what I need during flight.
Now I can see how this is starting to sound like this minimalist traveler is becoming quite "first classy", but I wouldn't go that far yet. Once my own money is on the table, the minimalist traveler comes out loud & proud :D But that's also why it's a fun experience traveling with work - I see a different, more glamorous side of travel than I would sign myself up for. That doesn't mean I don’t enjoy it when I get to experience the "other side"! The sweatshirt hanger and angled reading light are providing more benefit than I had previously imagined.
PRO TIP: if you enjoy the finer things in life (attn: husband), I would maybe suggest steering away from first class or you may not ever want to go back to the regular people area. And then, you'll need a raise and new job and to re-evaluate your investment portfolio and to wait at least 5 more years before affording kids.
You can find me and my backpacks sipping ginger ale in seat 9L, pinkies up.
Peace, love, & stay classy,
yo' girl Jen
PS) of course I added in travel time to this work trip. The first week will be work-focused, with freedom from the man following!!!! Asian Jen coming back at ya’ll!
PPS) can a flight even get longer than 13 hours or did I hit the jackpot??
