In my twenty two years of flying, I’ve only done this three times. The most recent was only last Sunday, when I was handed a differently-printed boarding pass that read ‘BUSINESS‘ at DXB. You can now imagine the smug look on my face as I walked towards the upper level air bridge that connects to the upper deck of the new A380-800 when asked “First and business class, sir?”. So, get ready for a jakun post on my recent experience on my second ever flight on an Airbus A380-800.
My first experience of an upgrade was on Malaysia Airlines’ Golden Club in the days of Subang Airport. The novelty? Private video screens (in the days when an inflight film was viewed on a small screen shared by the entire section of the 747), a wider seat and eating satay on porcelain plates. The second was on a short SIN-KUL connecting flight on an SIA 777. Nothing beats Sunday’s surprise, though.
I got a window seat. A seat that is the width of three seats on a conventional 777. I tried to contain my excitement with the iPhone lest I want the other passengers going, “Definitely an upgrade” after seeing how geeky I was, clicking the camera at every screen and panel whilst pressing every single button I could get to near my seat. The seat can be configured was from a normal upright position down to a flat bed. And you could choose a massage option, too (without any forms of endings, I’m afraid). Before we took off, the stewardess provided each one of us a padded lining for the seats for additional comfort. Drinks were offered way before we took off and included champagne – being the nice boy I was I opted for the less glamourous apple juice.
