Change of Plans

Sometimes, despite the best planning, a trip doesn’t pan out quite as expected.  Some years ago, I was supposed to fly back from Athens on Swiss Airline, transiting through Zurich.  I remembered I was really looking forward to flying with Swiss airline for the first time.  Except it never happened.

Two days before scheduled departure, there was an announcement of a workers strike in Athens.  The strike included air traffic controllers, and widespread flight cancellations were expected. My original flight was impacted.  I switched to an early morning flight with British Airways and decided to upgrade myself to the F cabin, knowing that I won’t get much sleep the night before.

We got to the airport before the sun was even up.  Once on-board,  I greeted the flight attendants, snacked, and reclined my seat.  I had dark circles under my eyes. I desperately needed some sleep.

BA First Cabin Crew Is Awesomely Attentive

Blanket Fairy
I knew the flight attendant could help me set up a quilted mattress, but sleep beckons.  I grabbed a blanket and attempted to sleep.  Somewhere along the way, the cabin’s temperature got colder so I wrapped the blanket tightly around me.  Even in my light sleep state, I could hear the flight attendant walking around the cabin.  Yet, I was most surprised when the footsteps stopped near my seat.  Apparently, one of the flight attendants noticed that I must be getting cold and gently placed another layer of blanket on top of me (which I was grateful for).  Even though I didn’t end up getting the best sleep, I was still amazed at how attentive she was.

Graceful Line Enforcer
Once the flight landed, I grabbed my things.  Although I lined up to exit, someone from the business cabin rushed forward to the exit, which triggered everyone else behind him to start walking.  I waited for a chance to merge into the flow of traffic, but no one paused.  A flight attendant manning the first class cabin noticed that I was stuck. She gracefully stepped in and blocked the entrance, asking the next passenger to kindly hold for a second.  She then turned and gestured me to go with her eyes. I thanked her and hurriedly exited.

Little Things Matter

When I was tired and far away from home, the cabin crew members brought along their warm smiles and made the experience feel a little more welcoming.  The little touches really made all the difference. That is why, to this day, that flight is still one of best and most memorable flights I’ve ever taken.

 

If you’ve ever flown BA F, what did you like most and least about your experience?