Out This Door

Though the idea of being on a plane for 10 hours is not appealing, Swiss Air Business Class made it very, very appealing. So I don’t mean uphill as in a hard task, I mean the opposite of “it was all downhill from there” (what a crazy set of metaphors! )

Now, please understand as I brag about this portion of this amazing adventure. To that point, I had never flown business class or first class. I had never been across the pond. Easy to say, I felt like royalty. We lucked out when booking with flights at half cost. Going during shoulder season may not be the perfect weather of summer or the perfect snow of winter but it did allow us to go at a luxury level that was palatable. And with his recent back surgery, a comfortable 10 hours would pay off in being pain free for the next 10 days. 

How’s the treatment with Swiss Air business class?

Business class boards earlier, a welcome glass of champagne is offered, they lift your bag, and your “cubicle” awaits– we are never so happy to see a cubicle.  The seats are roomier, wider with more leg room. But you also get personal space on each side, an armrest with space for your book, a shelf for the phone and little stuff, controls for the video/audio, and a shoe bin under the audio control console. And there’s accessories waiting–a little toiletry kit (so cute)–toothbrush, the littlest toothpaste ever, a wet wipe, eye mask, cozy socks. There’s a pillow and a blanket. Deluxe for sure. You’d hate it if that’s all you got for your office space but on an airplane…like a mansion! 

Once airborne, the next amazing luxury was a menu for a five course meal with choices of entre, wine selection, dessert. The stewards and stewardesses were just top notch. So patient, very clear English, very personable, attended to every detail. A cloth napkin was spread over the large tray table. The world’s tiniest bottle of olive oil and a little dish arrived with the bread so we could dunk the bread in the oil. The entrées were amazing, very fresh and even plated so they looked beautiful and appetizing (yes, I am on the plane at this point). There was a cheese course because, Switzerland. And, because Switzerland, a chocolate finale.  

With the plates and cloth napkins cleared, digestif finished, and a movie watched (all the latest on the digital networks), we were tucked in to bed. The lights were dimmed, the socks donned, and our seats–get this–laid flat. Flat. Like un-origami, the foot area kicked out, the back slouched and the whole seat slid forward so that my feet were under the storage cubicle of the person sitting in front of me and under my storage cubicle was the feet of the person behind me. When I got up to use the restroom before sleeping, it was so sweet to see us all tucked in. I thought of full day child care nap times and wondered if the flight staff loved this reprieve as well. 

All too soon it was day on the plane with another cloth napkin tablecloth, coffee and pastries, cheese and meats, and whatever else we wanted from the menu. Campari? What’s that? It’s good with pink grapefruit juice? I have come to the right place! 

A toast to Swiss Air from us. We are out this door!