First Class is the Only Way to Go

After all the dramas and uncertainty about whether I would be able to fly through to Europe because of all the fallout from the Iceland volcano, things couldn’t have gone better for yours truly.

  Not only was I able to fly as planned with Korean Air, but the Seoul to London leg was done First Class – literally.

  As I was about to board the flight from Seoul to Heathrow I was politely asked to go to see someone at the Korean Airlines information counter. Fearing I was about to be bumped off the flight at the last moment, I readied for a confrontation.

  But no, there was no problem, they said, but would I be interested in upgrading to a First Class seat? Of course I would only too happy to oblige, I replied!!!!!!!!!!

  To say that I had a spring in my step as I waltzed down the dedicated First Class gangway entrance to the plane is an understatement of monumental proportions.

  Not only was I in First Class, but I was at the front of the upstairs section of the 747 complete with an almost private toilet (which 4 of us shared with the pilots), our own cabin attendant and all the other luxuries that travelling First Class affords the lucky few normally able to afford it.

  The next 12 hours was the most enjoyable flight I have ever taken. With more than 3 months of cycling ahead of me I gleefully accepted every meal, drink, ice cream (or 4) and more that came my way (a bloke has to prepare for these things after all). And best of all … once it came time to have a sleep and I set up my seat as a bed, our personal flight attendant insisted on tucking me in. It can’t get any better than this, I thought.

  Anyway, I arrived in London as fresh as a daisy and after working out the complexities of the bus services at Heathrow am now at my overnight accommodation before flying out to Portugal in the morning.

  So there you have it. While hundreds of thousands of airline passengers worldwide are desperate for any flight home they can get after more than a week of delays caused by that unpronounceable Iceland volcano, I was not only able to fly to London on my originally scheduled flight, but did it in style.

  Definitely chalk it up as a good omen for things to come once I hit the road early next week on my bicycle.