Long gone is the Golden Age of air travel.
With shrinking seats on aircraft, longer lineups for security screening, and
increasing reports of unruly passengers (and sometimes airline employees) the
experience is no longer so pleasant. In an attempt to relive the good old days
of flying in comfort and style, I added ‘a transatlantic flight in Business
Class’ to my travel bucket list. Last summer I joined the jet setters en route
to France, thanks to Air Canada’s loyalty program, Aeroplan.
The Aeroplan booking agent made it easy for
me to convert 55,000 miles to a one-way ticket from Montreal to Nice via Zurich
in Swiss Business Class. (Swiss is one of Air Canada’s 27 Star Alliance partner
airlines.) And the flights only cost me $76 in additional fees.
|
Boarding at Trudeau International Airport, Montreal |
My journey got off to a promising start
with advanced boarding for my flight to Zurich at Montreal’s Trudeau
International Airport. I’m sure my eyes were gleaming when I found my single bulkhead
seat and realized how much space I would have, soaring above the clouds, for
the next eight hours.
|
My Seat in Swiss Business Class |
Awaiting takeoff in the Business Class
cabin, all was peace and serenity.
As I watched the comings and goings on the rain-slicked tarmac below I
was offered a glass of French Champagne, along with a dinner menu and wine list.
There was nobody jostling down the aisle or cramming their bags into an
overhead bin above my head. I could barely hear the baby crying further back in
the plane.
|
Rainy Day in Montreal |
|
French Champagne |
Tucked into a ledge was a Swiss Comfort Kit, a souvenir of my first flight in Business Class. Included in
the zip-top wallet were a toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm, eye mask, ear plugs,
a pen and a pair of socks. (The latter will become my ‘travel reading
socks’.)
|
Swiss Comfort Kit |
After we’d been airborne for a while,
dinner was served. The chicken and stir-fried vegetables were tasty, and the salad was the first I've had on an aircraft that didn't look anemic. Overall the food lacked the
full flavour I’d expect from a good restaurant meal but I recently watched a
documentary that cited a study suggesting high altitudes during flight
adversely affect our taste buds. (And no meal could benefit from languishing in
a warming oven.) Still, the meal as a whole was a notch above the usual fare in
Economy. Plus my food was served on china, on a linen tablecloth, with real cutlery
and attentive service. There were no complaints from me.
|
Seasonal Salad, Seared Chicken Breast with Red Win Jus, Mashed Potatoes and Stir-Fried Vegetables |
Unable to consume any more food or wine, I
was ready to test out my lay-flat bed. I was really excited about the prospect
of arriving in Europe rested and refreshed. Unfortunately, there was a great
deal of activity in the cabin which kept me awake. Oh, well. At least I spent the night
horizontal.
|
Sunset |
When the sun began to peek over the horizon,
I readied myself for the breakfast I’d ordered earlier: orange juice, coffee,
fresh fruit and pastries.
|
Sunrise |
|
Breakfast Menu |
|
My Breakfast |
My connecting flight to Nice, also in
Business Class, departed Zurich under low-lying clouds so there was no sign of the
Alps. The flight attendant addressed me by name while serving me a second breakfast
and, before I knew it, the aircraft was descending over the sparkling waters of
the sunny Côte d’Azur.
|
Zurich Airport |
|
Another Breakfast |
|
The Sunny Côte d'Azur |
Of course, getting to Nice was only half
of my journey.
|
The Approach to Nice Airport |
Next:
Flying Business Class: The Upgrade
I have also decided that on any more flights overseas or across the states, I will fly business class. I did it years ago from detroit to Vancouver and it was great. I am getting too old to deal with even the premier seats in the main cabin.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, travel was so much easier in my twenties!
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