First Flight

I had forgotten how long that flight actually is… I have done it 3 times now but this was definitely the best.

First time: limited toilets, so limited drinking… and was next to two guys who were set on breaking the David Boon record – refer to earlier posts about that trip…

Second time: epic hangover… enough said…

Third time: all toilets working, no hangover, and two lovely travelling companions! #Winning

I love the long international flights, they allow me a chance to catch up on movies I haven’t seen…

Movie One: The Saphires. WOW, Australian cinema has come a long way

Movie Two: Monsters Inc. One of those Pixar ones I never got around to seeing

Movie Three: The Lone Ranger. This movie is the reason I don’t see movies all that often… I know it was late in the flight and I had already consumed a couple of Vodka’s and moved onto the mini bottles of Red Wine, but I could not stay awake in this movie… Long and Boring…

That was when I changed to Modern Family and Big Bang Theory. Safe and predictable options.

The only thing that happens on a long flight is that you start to question things… don’t get worried – nothing to deep like the meaning of life or how long could I actually hold my breath if this plane was to crash land in the water and who would deactivate my Facebook account – nothing serious like that at all….

The main question I came up with was “Why Do Companies Try To Glamour Travel?”. We all know we are in Economy and it is called Economy for a reason and it is costed like that for a reason. Why don’t they just say: 13 hours in a cramped space with terrible headphones and food that doesn’t look anything like it tastes like which is nothing like what it was described. But instead we get things such as a “menu” prepared by an “executive chef” and the drinks list has some “aperitifs” which are just different mixers with your drink… it is all about making travel more fancy… when it isn’t. Why do seats even recline in economy? It is just a waste of a feature that you can’t use because you will squash the person behind you and it isn’t really that much more comfortable. Recently I watched Catch Me If You Can… Back in the 50’s travel really was glamorous and fun and sexy flight attendance, now well… it is all a little bit Economy… maybe you need to go Business…

We get to LAX… a little early and they don’t let us get off the plane because the airport doesn’t open for another 20 minutes… oh well. Clear Customs, change terminals and Wow… guess which terminal has had a full makeover! The Tom Bradley is now presented by Westfield… Step off a 13 hour flight from Australia and step straight into Carindale – it was like the flight never happened! Slight delay and we are on our way from LAX to JFK (I like to sound like a cool and knowledgeable traveller and use airport codes… I don’t know why).

The next part of the flight is the half empty plane. As soon as that seatbelt light went off, I was in the middle spreading out over 4 seats to try and sleep… emphasis on the try… but then ‘that moment’ when you are flying into New York and you see the glow of the plasma screens (it is not neon lights anymore) and you can’t help but admit that a little bit of pee comes out because you are excited (not because you are about to enter your 26^th hour with no sleep!)