Business Class
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.
The best way to take the stress out of travel is to fly Business Class.
The experience begins with shorter lines at check in. It continues with access to a dedicated lounge, where you can chill out, go on line, eat snacks, drink coffee, take a shower, savour wine.
At the gate, you get priority boarding. Shortly after sitting down, you are offered fruit juice or champagne – BEFORE you are air borne. When meal time comes, you are served food course by course. The details, of course, vary from airline to airline. Not all of them offer showers in the departure lounge, and not all of them serve meals course by course. But you get the idea …
Needless to say, there are more flight attendants per passenger, the quality of the food is better, the servings are more generous, and the wines are of a higher standard.
Comfort and Space
But what really sets Business Class apart from Cattle Class is the comfort and spaciousness of the seats.
I’ve always had difficulty sleeping aboard aircraft, but the first time I flew Business Class I actually DIDN’T want to fall asleep because I wanted to enjoy the comfort of the seat. And that was several years ago, before lie flat seat were introduced. In spite of myself, I soon found myself fast asleep, awaking shortly before arrival.
Prestige Class – Up Close and Personal
I was among three bloggers – two from Hong Kong and one from Singapore – to be flown to Seoul, Korea, to experience Prestige Class, as Korean Air dubs its Business Class, aboard the Korean carrier’s recently launched Airbus A380-800.
The Airbus A380-800 features two decks running the entire length of the craft. And Korean Air is one of only two airlines in the world to dedicate the entire upper deck to Business Class. The seats can recline fully 180 degrees, offering a completely flat surface upon which to sleep.
The cabin has been divided into three sections to afford a greater sense of intimacy, with four rows each forward and aft and seven rows in the middle section.
Interestingly, I didn’t even know about one of the plane’s more interesting innovations until the flight was almost over. There is a bar at the front and rear of the airplane.
Celestial Bar
On my way to the toilet toward the end of my flight, I stumbled across the lounge, which is called Celestial Bar, quite by accident. When I emerged, I was asked by a flight attendant if I’d like a cocktail. If only I had discovered this earlier!
As it stands, I only got to sample two of the six cocktails on the menu, all of which were made with Absolut Vodka. Before I knew it, I heard the captain announcing that we were about to land, and it was time to return to our seats and fasten our seat belts.
Copyright: Michael Taylor