At Changi, I made sure I was first in line when the security check at the gate opened, and by some minor miracle there was no question about the travel cot, despite all the pieces of it that resemble hitting sticks. When it came to boarding, I somehow sneaked past most of the priority boarders and sprinted down to my seat at the back of the plane, ensuring that I had adequate space to stow the cot and my enormous bag. So that was a good start.
I keep forgetting how bad the leg room is on the BA A380s in Economy. It turns out that seat A Is a bit better than seat J, as window seats go; there’s room to fit one leg either side of the entertainment unit, whereas on the other side of the plane you’re more jammed up. Unfortunately, I have definitely been spoiled by business class in the last week, and struggled to get much sleep.
Interestingly (or interesting to me) is that Economy on an Airbus A380 is still quieter than Business on a Boeing 767 – better soundproofing, I suppose, and the toilets are much nicer. That is to say, the toilets on Delta aircraft are the same whether you’re up front in Business or at the back, and that utilitarian level is not as advanced as on the Airbus. They’re dingier, there’s less shiny bits and bobs and the sink just isn’t as nice. Again, new aircraft are nicer probably because they’re newer, but I’m still surprised that Delta don’t do anything to make the people travelling in Business think they have a superior toilet to the rest of us. (Or maybe they have never gone to the back of the plane, and just assume they have a nicer toilet, because, well, because.)
I got to Oxford Street by 7am, which wasn’t so convenient because I can’t get into the office until 9, when the media types begin to appear, and at 7:30 the data connection on my phone expired, so I couldn’t even enjoy my usual pastime of deleting emails. Still, we should make the best of these opportunities to sit and contemplate our lives.