Ahh, the familiar scent of the aircraft filled my nose as I stepped onto the aircraft, with the view of the best place on the aircraft coming into my sight to the left. I was very warmly greeted by Kelvin, the Leading Steward (LS) and shown to my seat. I mentioned to him that I boarded a little before everyone else in order to get some photos of the F cabin, and he agreed that it is the best time to take photos.
Views around the cabin
Seat 3F – mine for the next 12 hours
View from seat 1B
One of the two pairs of seats in the middle
The 14-inch LCD screen which was the biggest in the sky back in 1999 – how times have changed!
View from seat 3F with Kelvin and Jasmine handing out things and storing coats
Always a sign that all is well in the world – a glass of Dom while settling down for departure
Jasmine – the Leading Stewardess (LSS) – followed shortly after to take care of handing out the PJs, amenity kit, newspapers, menu, headphones, and so on. Normally the In-Flight Supervisor (IFS) comes round to introduce himself and welcome everyone but I guess he was busy with something else. After browsing the menu and fancying the lamb instead of my pre-booked lobster, I let Kelvin know that I would prefer to have lobster for breakfast so could he please set it aside for later? No problem
Jasmine took orders for the meal and post-takeoff drink.
I knew as soon as I spoke the first words with Kelvin that it was going to be a great flight. He was very warm, engaging and personable right from the start. Jasmine was a little more reserved, but still very warm and attentive as well. There was also an Inflight Auditor onboard who is responsible for checking everything is in order regarding inflight service, and apparently they are a real source of fear (and, in turn, motivation) for the crew!
Doors closed early at 6:05pm and we pushed away from the gate right on time at 6:15pm. As we were taxiing to the runway, I noticed that the windows next to seat 2A looked very clean whereas my windows were scratched and foggy. After checking with Jasmine, I quickly moved to 2A and noticed the great sunset out of my window.
Soon we took off from 27L and we were up in the air. Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbpq1MHoABE