Last Tuesday I completed my second year of University here in Leeds. I still have one more year to go, so it was hardly a time for major celebrations, but nevertheless I felt like treating myself. That night I got to work looking for any decent midweek fares available for a departure in the next few days. Miami and San Francisco were pricing out well for a next day departure, but as midnight passed the fares doubled, and it was impossible to get them back down again.

This year I’ve been lucky enough to do a fair bit of flying with AA, and my mileage balance was sufficiently bloated to get me to most places in the world in reasonable comfort. Although a bit of a long shot, I headed over to ba.com and started playing around with their mileage redemption program to see if anything was available. Surprisingly three realistic looking options presented themselves to me:

South Africa
Brazil/Argentina
India

India had appealed to me for some time, but a cursory glance at visa requirements ruled me out of that instantly. I had been in South America just the previous month, so decided I would investigate South Africa in the morning. I headed to bed at around 1am, dreaming of the exciting possibilities that perhaps lay ahead for tomorrow.

My alarm went off at 7am, the time that AA’s excellent European call centre opens in Dublin. Firing up my PC, I got on the phone to them, and after two rings a friendly German chap answered, and the conversation went something like this:

Me: Hi, I was wondering if you could check some award availability for me please.
Dublin: Sure thing…
Me: OK, from Manchester to either Johannesburg or Cape Town. Leaving tonight.
Dublin: (With an incredulous “There’s no way on earth you will get that” tone of voice) Mmmmm OK then…wow, there is availability in Economy.
Me: What about First?
Dublin (In an even more incredulous tone of voice) Mmmmmm, wow, yes, there is!

We built up a quick itinerary, routing MAN-LHR-JNB that night, returning CPT-LHR-MAN on the last available flight in May, the following Tuesday night, and he agreed to put this on hold for me until midday so I could make up my mind.

I chatted to a few mates, and took a quick look at what I could get done out there in a week, and decided that there was more than enough. I rang Dublin back at around 0830, got the same chap again, and we confirmed the reservation. A steep £128.40 ($260) in taxes accompanied by 100,000 AAdvantage miles. Bargain!

I had 2.5 hours until my train left, not much time to pack, book accommodation, and of course annoy all my friends by sending jealousy inducing text messages informing them of my impending departure.

On the way out I informed my housemates, who, still convinced I am a spy with the amount of unexplained time I spend away from the house, shrugged it off and made me pay the gas bill before I went! For the first time since moving to Leeds the train from my local station was delayed half an hour, so I resolved to walk to the central station.

An uneventful train journey followed, and I power walked the marathon length trek from Manchester Airport’s railway station to Terminal Three. I normally check in with BA at the supervisor position rather than queuing, but today there was a large gaggle of people there, and no-one on the self service machines. With no bags I decided just to use these for a change. My reservation was too fresh to show on ba.com, and I was pleasantly surprised for it to be recognised by the machine. Seat 4F on the A319 to LHR was selected, and I then went into my JNB flight details to see where I had been stuck.

Despite there being only one free seat in First on tonight’s flight, there were plenty of unassigned seats on the map (Pre departure seat assignment obviously isn’t that big a deal to the average non-FTer!). I had been placed in 2A (awesome!) but unusually 1K was still available. This is only available for pre-selection by BA Gold Card holders, so naturally I grabbed it straight away. 2 itineraries were printed, followed by my Shuttle boarding pass, and finally, something I never thought I’d see, certainly not at my age, a First Class boarding pass, with seat 1K emblazoned across it. Only then did it really sink in what I was doing…

Two minutes later and I was through the empty security checkpoint and into the lounge. I asked the lounge dragon if she could assign my seats for the return journey. She said I was in 2K from Cape Town (excellent) but couldn’t do anything with the Shuttle as my AAdvantage number could not be inserted to the booking enabling pre-selection, but as I was in First she’d look into it and come find me.

The Terraces lounge at Manchester is definitely one of the nicer ones, particularly in what has now become something of a backwater outstation. I took a deck chair by the window, and looked out over the movements on the runway with a can of Boddingtons and a couple of sandwiches. More phone calls followed to bewildered and confused friends, family, and lovers who were all slightly put out by my extravagant whim, and after listening to the latter swallow a fly whilst talking to me, the dragon came and sat down next to me and said that 2K was confirmed for my CPT flight, and that I had been assigned a forward window seat for the return Shuttle.

1530 soon arrived, and a mere seven hours after making my reservation I was boarding the BA A319 for the short hop down to LHR. The flirty purser informed the gentleman in front of me he was in a “cheeky” window seat, and again let me know I was also in a “cheeky” window seat. Looking around I could see no obvious signs of cheekiness, but I kept a good look out just in case.

I refused the sandwich, preferring to save as much room as possible for later. The flight was over in record time, after an unusually late turn onto final approach for the north runway at Heathrow, and before I knew it I was taking the long walk between T1 Domestic and the FCC. No queuing for security this way thankfully and I headed to WH Smith to buy a Lonely Planet guide for the place I knew absolutely nothing about, but was going to be stuck in for the next week.

The last time I was in T1 International was to Tokyo back at the start of February whilst still a mere AA Gold, so I had not experienced the lounges here for some time. Despite this the T1 Terraces was actually the first airport lounge I ever visited, when my Dad’s Gold Card got our entire family of six in on a flight to Nice back in 2001.

I got a nice big smile from the Lounge Dragon when she saw my First boarding pass, although a confused one when I asked her to try an “experiment”. Again however it was not possible to add my AAdvantage number to the booking. Seeing as I WAS in First, it didn’t really make a great deal of difference anyhow.

After this I was a bit disorientated, and wandered to the right into the Terraces lounge. Recognising it as such I headed back the way I had come from, and round the corner here was the Molton Brown Spa, and beyond that the First lounge. I had heard there was virtually no chance of securing a space in the Spa these days, but I needed a shower after my long sprint to the railway station, so popped in anyway and enquired on the availability of treatments. Once again that day I was pleasantly surprised to get a spot at 1800, just over an hour’s time.

I grabbed a quick shower, and then wandered over to the Champagne Bar. Now I’m not the biggest connoisseur on Champagne, but I knew well enough to avoid the Monopole, and asked for something other than that, as well as what I understand to be a compulsory Bacon Butty (sorry, Baguette).

I never quite grasped exactly what I ended up drinking, but it was very pleasant indeed. The First lounge isn’t actually very big, and it was quite difficult to find a seat. I eventually found one right at the back and took the plunge, deciding to call home and inform my parents. I normally don’t bother; whenever I do this there are usually violent threats to cut off financial support. It is far easier to explain the perma-tan with a trip to a tanning salon rather than three trips to Miami in two months. But my Sister had taken her driving test and South Africa has something of a dangerous reputation, so I thought it best to let them know.

Thankfully my little sis had passed her driving test with zero minors, something I didn’t think possible, so the rents were in a good mood and I haven’t had too much grief yet. I’m not looking forward to going home again though, as this will inevitably come back to bite me in the ... at some point over the summer. I had to break off the conversation with the excuse that my massage was due, and sauntered down to the Spa to greet my masseuse, the same lady who had taken my request several hours previous.

She asked me if I had been here before, and I informed her that not only had I not been here before, I had actually never had a massage of any form at all! It was a very pleasant experience, although I get the impression that my stress levels are maybe not anywhere near as high as the average First lounge customer.

As I left, I heard some passengers being told the Johannesburg flight was starting boarding, and I confirmed this with the dragon. I picked up my bags, and briefly rang home again. In the previous call I had spoken to all four of my family but not my Dad, and I knew he’d be feeling put out. Thankfully he knows LHR very well, and laughed when I asked him where Gate 56 was. Naturally, it was the furthest one away from the lounge, and I chatted to him on the walk out there.

Boarding was well underway, and the majority of people were in the Fast Track line after having arrived from the lounge. I waited for about 30 seconds, and the reality hit again. I was boarding a 747, for an 11 hour flight in First Class, to South Africa. If someone had told me this 24 hours previously, they would have got a slap round the head for their stupidity!

We boarded via door 1L, and there were just two crew members checking boarding passes at the door, which meant no personal escort to my seat. I was given detailed instructions however, and 1K isn’t exactly difficult to find! There is no overhead bin above 1K, so I made use of both the closet and the space above 2K, and during this process was asked by the incredibly good looking female crew member if I fancied a drink.

I enquired if it was possible to be a bit naughty and get a glass of champagne, and she let me know I could be as naughty as I wanted. Fantastic!

The First seat is a little uncomfortable in the fully upright position, but a short delay was announced, so I reclined just a little. What a world of difference, I could have fallen asleep right there. That would have been a bit of a waste however, so I just sat back and savoured the view out over the runway. Soon enough we were on our way and blasting off out of the southerly runway.

We used up much of 27L, and as we climbed away, passing T5, looking out over the sun descending over south east England, I took a sip of my champagne and thought to myself “Does it really get any better than this?”. If someone asked me now if they could put me into any imaginable position, location, or situation, I would quite honestly ask to be back in 1K climbing away from Heathrow into the sunset.

As the sun disappeared somewhere over the English Channel, I once again reclined my seat and extended the footrest. This was easily the most comfortable seat I’d ever been in and as soon as I’d thought this my glass was topped up, and a tray of Canapés placed alongside it. Already the food was standing up to First Class expectations, the Canapés were absolutely stunning. I still have no idea what I was eating, but the flavours just danced all over the tongue until washed down with the champagne. I was seriously looking forward to dinner now!

Right on cue my glass was again topped up and the menus were handed out. Straight after this the CSD came around. He was the spitting image of Ian Duncan Smith, sounded like him too, handed me my movie selection card, and asked if everything was OK. When I said it was he looked most surprised, and explained that they’d been having problems with all sorts of things around the aircraft, even in the First cabin. Looking around, things were hardly on the tatty side, but noticeably my reading light had lost all flexibility and was hanging loose over my shoulder.

I thanked the CSD for his introduction, and headed to the bathroom to change into my PJs before dinner. I then set upon the decidedly pleasurable task of deciding what to have:


Dinner


Starters

Mark Edward’s foie gras and duck confit with plum wine jelly and brioche croutons

Grilled Asparagus with black truffle butter

Pea and mint soup with crème fraiche

Fresh salad leaves with your choice of sweet pepper or roast garlic and tarragon dressing


Main

Beef fillet with cep reduction, Anna potatoes and green beans

Catch of the Day – Please ask your crew for details of today’s fish selection served with your choice of sauce vierge or caper butter sauce, seasonal vegetables and new potatoes

Richard Corrigan’s roast breast of chicken and stuffed ravioli with garlic and thyme sauce

Poached Loch Duart salmon salad with lemon dressing


Dessert

Shaun Hill’s rhubarb tart with ginger sauce and vanilla ice cream

Chocolate espresso delice with Mascarpone cream and fresh raspberries


Cheese Plate

Montgomery Cheddar – An award winning straw-coloured unpasteurised cheese that is rich in flavour with a hint of fruit; this variety is made from the legendary Jersey cow’s milk and is a British Airways exclusive.

Cropwell Bishop Shropshire Blue – Shropshire Blue contains an underlying hint of rich, buttery caramel while maintaining a smooth blue taste.

Chabis – Made from goat’s milk this is a soft cheese with a fresh, mild flavour.

A basket of fresh fruit


Snacks

Bacon roll served with tomato ketchup

Penne pasta with your choice of tomato and olive sauce or Stilton cheese sauce served with grated Parmesan cheese and herb croute

Duchy of Cornwall biscuits

A selection of cheese and fruit

A basket containing a selection of sweet and savoury treats is available between meals.


Beverages

Twinings Teas – Traditional English Breakfast, Darjeeling, Earl Grey or Pure Green

Twinings Fruit and Herb Infusions – Pure Camomile, Pure Peppermint, Lemon and Ginger or Blackcurrant, Ginseng and Vanilla

Coffee – Freshly roasted and ground decaffeinated, espresso or cappuccino



This menu offered food that was far beyond anything I could ever recall seeing on a menu anywhere before, and certainly beyond the average student fare I have to survive on most days, so I was slightly overwhelmed by it all!

I decided to try the foie gras seeing as I had only ever read about it before, let alone seen it. I really wanted to photograph all the meals, but I’m afraid I couldn’t. I was far too embarrassed with the guy in 1A clearly being able to watch my every move, and wimped out. Sorry!

I kept going with the champers, and this washed down the amazing foie gras nicely. For my main course I enquired on the Catch of the Day, and was informed by our lovely purser that it was Brill. I could not recall ever having eaten Brill before either, so decided to go for that, and on her recommendation, I chose the caper butter sauce.

She asked me if I wanted some wine with the main course, and breaking with tradition I thought that might be a nice idea. I asked what would go well with the Brill, and she very diplomatically stated that it was never a matter of what went well; it was very much personal taste. In response I perused the well stocked wine menu:


Champagne

Champagne Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque 1999

White

Chablis Grand Cru Bougros, Cote Bouguerots, 2004, Domaine William Fevre

Sancerre La Chapelle des Augustins 2005, Henri Bourgeois

Jordan Winery Chardonnay 2004, Stellenbosch

Red

Chateau Beychevelle 1996, Grand Cru Classe Saint-Julien

Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir 2005, Santa Lucia Highlands

Simonsig Tiara 2000, Stellenbosch

Dessert

Bonnezeaux 2003, Chateau de Fesles, Loire Valley

Warre’s 1988 Colheita Port

Spirits, Digestifs, and Liqueurs

Gonzalez Byass Sherries

Smirnoff Black Label Vodka

Tanqueray No. Ten Gin

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch Whisky

The Glenlivet 18-year-old Single Malt Whisky

Woodford Reserve Kentucky Whiskey

Camus XO Cognac

Soft Drinks

A selection of traditional and modern drinks

Highland Spring still or sparkling mineral water


The Chateau sounded especially nice: “Chateau Beychevelle is an architectural gem in the tiny commune of Saint-Julien – the smallest of the four main communes of the Medoc region of Bordeaux. The wines are equally stunning! It’s a classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc grapes and is elegant with firm tannins, candied fruit and a generous hint of spice. 1996 was a lovely vintage in the Mendoc”

I concurred; it was a stunning glass of wine. The purser had agreed to let me try a bit first, and happily agreed to top my glass up to half way. “Whoops my hand must have slipped” she said, as the glass was topped up to the brim. “Are you trying to get me drunk?” was responded to with a twinkle in the eye. Dear me!

The Brill was absolutely exquisite, and the purser complimented me on what she said looked to be a fine combination. I thanked her for providing it, and savoured the fish and the wine as long as possible.

I was asked if I fancied dessert, and said that I did, but was rather torn between the two. Once again the excellent purser came to my rescue and recommended the chocolate espresso delice. It was obviously fantastic, and accompanied by the similarly delightful dessert wine.

My table was cleared as soon as I finished, and after declining anything further, headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed. On my way I asked one of the crew if it would be possible to get my bed turned down, and was told it wouldn’t be a problem. In the bathroom I managed to explode my tube of toothpaste all over my Pyjama top.

Exiting the bathroom topless, I was confronted by the Purser with a look of amusement, horror, and thankfully a good deal of restraint. I explained my predicament, and she laughed and said “You couldn’t make it up!” whilst handing me a fresh pair of PJs!

During this minor debacle my seat had been turned down, and it was quite difficult to tell it had once been a seat. I snuggled into bed, and selected one of the albums to listen to. Mika and Kaiser Chiefs on channel 10. Perfect! Unlike AA, BA actually has something I want to listen to, and on a non-AVOD plane too!

Now the BA First Class seat is not the best in the world, but it is certainly up there. Unfortunately, for sleeping it just did not do it for me. I am a healthy 6’4, and despite being a 6’6 bed, the foot area is exceptionally narrow at the end, making it rather difficult for me to get really comfortable. For short periods of time it was fine, but I was unable to get into a position where I was truly comfortable enough to get to sleep.

This in no way denigrates the BA product; I have experienced this on every J and F seat I have used on AA. But sadly I was expecting something I could get really comfortable in, and I’m now not exactly convinced this is going to ever be possible for me, my height, and my sleeping habits.

Nevertheless I was able to snooze and rest a little, even if I never actually got any real sleep. Halfway through the night I went to the galley and asked for one of the Smoothies, and this was presented to me when I exited the bathroom. Back to bed, but before I knew it the mood lighting was being switched on, and a friendly face popped round the side of my suite to see if I was awake, and if I fancied any breakfast.

I took a quick look at the menu:

Starters

Chilled fruit juice

An energising fruit smoothie

A selection of yoghurts

A selection of cereals

Fresh Seasonal fruit plate

Bakery

A wide selection of breakfast pastries and rolls

Main

Scrambled eggs, grilled bacon, pork sausages, sautéed mushrooms, grilled tomato and hash-brown potatoes

Creamy wild mushroom omelette

Apple and sultana crepes with Mascarpone and cinnamon cream


I opted for an orange juice and the fruit plate, and after completing them went for the English breakfast when assured that nobody would mind if I didn’t finish it! The scrambled egg wasn’t that great, but I managed to devour a great deal of the rest, and soon wished I hadn’t… I grabbed a cup of tea as well, and sat back watching the sunrise out of 1A’s window.

Soon we were on our descent into Johannesburg, and I retracted my seat back into its upright position. I then got memories of trying to sleep in upright economy seats, and ignored my minor discomforts of that night.

Despite the delay out of Heathrow we touched down only a few minutes late, and taxied into our gate. One thing about sitting this far forward on the 747 is how far in front of the nose wheel you are. You taxi well past an adjoining taxiway, and then suddenly start turning when you think you have no chance of making it. Takes a little while to get used to!

We parked onto a remote stand, the first time I had ever done this in a wide body and had a few minutes to wait for the stairs. The crew were keeping back the thronging masses from the Club cabin, and I got many envious looks as I thanked the crew, and descended the steps onto the tarmac of a freezing cold Johannesburg.

The bus filled up with the Club passengers, and off we went to immigration. Even though we were late the immigration staff had clearly only just arrived, and we waited for a good few minutes for them to log in and process all us First Class passengers. After this it was out into the big bad airport, and I enquired about the whereabouts of the BA arrivals lounge.

BA doesn’t actually operate their own lounge here, but instead contract to the Intercontinental airport hotel that runs an arrivals lounge over the road. They had a list of all the F and J passengers on the flight, and welcomed me in and showed me to the showers. After a nice long, sadly lukewarm wash I grabbed an orange juice, and set about the task of working out what on earth I was going to do now I was here!