{"id":34784,"date":"2017-07-14T11:18:51","date_gmt":"2017-07-14T11:18:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=34784"},"modified":"2017-07-14T11:18:51","modified_gmt":"2017-07-14T11:18:51","slug":"champagne-duvets-and-a-180-degree-seat-a-frugal-travelers-introduction-to-first-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/travel\/champagne-duvets-and-a-180-degree-seat-a-frugal-travelers-introduction-to-first-class.html","title":{"rendered":"Champagne, duvets and a 180-degree seat: A frugal traveler\u2019s introduction to first class"},"content":{"rendered":"

Champagne, duvets and a 180-degree seat: A frugal traveler\u2019s introduction to first class<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Champagne, duvets and a 180-degree seat: A frugal traveler\u2019s introduction to first class :- \u201cFirst class can now board,\u201d the loudspeaker blared. I perked up. This was my moment. I pushed through the tight crowd that blocked my gate at Los Angeles International Airport.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, I hesitated as I approached the ticket counter. A voice behind me asked, \u201cAre you in first class?\u201d Another bellowed, \u201cAre you going?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d I said taking a deep slow breath mostly just to keep them waiting,<\/span><\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t know it was my first time in first class. Nor did they realize that Brian Tyree Henry \u2014 the actor who plays Alfred \u201cPaper Boi\u201d Miles on FX\u2019s \u201cAtlanta\u201d \u2014 was standing between me and the counter. I wasn\u2019t about to push past him .<\/span><\/p>\n

Crossing paths with an actor at LAX wasn\u2019t a surprise, but this time I was sitting an aisle away from one, enjoying the same food, drink and entertainment. Up until I introduced myself, there wasn\u2019t that much difference between my economy-class routine and the premium setup.<\/span><\/p>\n

(I did relax in the complimentary Delta Sky Club before the flight, but left prematurely to be sure I didn\u2019t miss out on the wonder of priority boarding, which got me caught in a rolling hour-long delay.)<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m what you would call a frugal airline customer. Last summer, I traveled with a single 11-pound carry-on for a two-week European trip to avoid baggage fees, and I enjoyed every second of it. So I found what was surely the cheapest genuine first-class ticket available on a domestic flight, and I didn\u2019t take the cost, (which exceeded the amount of my monthly student-loan payment) lightly.<\/span><\/p>\n

I arrived at my single-occupant row and was greeted by Westin Heavenly In-Flight Bedding, noise-canceling headphones, bottled water and a Tumi amenity kit filled with goodies, plus an overhead compartment to myself. A flight attendant popped a bottle of champagne.<\/span><\/p>\n

I hadn\u2019t picked any old premium ticket. I chose Delta One \u2014 available on long-haul international flights and select cross-country ones \u2014 which sports flatbed seats. Once in the air, I could activate the blue leather seat and go fully horizontal. I booked a red eye to John F. Kennedy International Airport to see if I could achieve genuine slumber at 30,000 feet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before I tried out the 180-degree option, I pressed the massage button and the inner workings of the seat applied pressure to my lower back. I took a sip of bubbly and waited for zone three to board.<\/span><\/p>\n

I was nestled in my oversize duvet watching \u201cFences\u201d when the dedicated flight attendant asked, \u201cWill you be joining us for dinner?\u201d It was 11:30 p.m. I chose the hamburger over the cold chicken salad. My tray was quickly covered with a cloth napkin \u2014 the white tablecloth of the skies.<\/span><\/p>\n

What appeared to be a microwaved burger arrived with a selection of condiments, potato chips, an apple tart, some fruit \u2014 and my requested wine. I was promptly asked if I wanted a refill.<\/span><\/p>\n

After my dinner was cleared and I\u2019d watched most of \u201cFences,\u201d I joined the rest of the cabin and triggered the six-foot-plus bed. This was where I was supposed to fall asleep. In a reclining position, however, it became unequivocally apparent that I was trapped in a tin can shooting through the air.<\/span><\/p>\n

I tossed and turned, and twitched into sleep only to be awakened by the sound of flight attendants moving through the aisle. I gasped awake 20 minutes before landing and hastily put my seat in the upright position.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the ground in New York, the humidity seeped into the cabin. That\u2019s when I truly appreciated the controlled environment of Delta One. I never once worried about the temperature \u2014 or anything else. Thirst, hunger, invading someone else\u2019s space \u2014 or vice versa. From boarding to exiting the aircraft, I felt cared for.<\/span><\/p>\n

But I was still uncomfortable. Not physically, of course, but because being seated and stretching out in an \u201cexclusive\u201d seat felt wrong to me at a time when the discrepancies between sections are stark and steadily increasing.<\/span><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t regret reveling in my heavenly blanket or saying \u201chi\u201d to Paper Boi in the interest of journalism, but I\u2019m going back to my roots. My next flight is booked in basic economy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/lifestyle\/travel\/champagne-duvets-and-180-degree-seat-a-frugal-travelers-introduction-to-first-class\/2017\/07\/13\/4010f28e-6332-11e7-8adc-fea80e32bf47_story.html?utm_term=.001048e98722<\/span><\/p>\n

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