Thursday, October 09, 2003
The Rough Guide to Sitting Pretty 1
Flying in cattle class is like travelling on a bus with no view.
Opening Scene
It is free-for-all from the moment the ground staff announces that the plane is ready for boarding. Despite effort to board in an organized fashion, we have passangers who flaunt the rules or just plain ignorant. They will rush to the door as if they are about to catch a minibus.
Confession 1: I flaunt the rules sometimes by acting ignorant!
My excuse ..... I need to find room to store my violin.
The fringe benefit ..... I get to choose my newspaper and magazines rather than taking the leftovers.
First thing to go is the compartment space. Then, the pillows, blankets and reading materials get snapped up.
The moment you step into the plane, you know it's gonna be a long ordeal. Trapped in a plane load of strangers, with no way out!
~ End of Opening Scene ~
Update on Vietnam
Air ticket ... checked!
Hotel ... checked!
Saigon, here we come.
Flying in cattle class is like travelling on a bus with no view.
Opening Scene
It is free-for-all from the moment the ground staff announces that the plane is ready for boarding. Despite effort to board in an organized fashion, we have passangers who flaunt the rules or just plain ignorant. They will rush to the door as if they are about to catch a minibus.
Confession 1: I flaunt the rules sometimes by acting ignorant!
My excuse ..... I need to find room to store my violin.
The fringe benefit ..... I get to choose my newspaper and magazines rather than taking the leftovers.
First thing to go is the compartment space. Then, the pillows, blankets and reading materials get snapped up.
The moment you step into the plane, you know it's gonna be a long ordeal. Trapped in a plane load of strangers, with no way out!
~ End of Opening Scene ~
Update on Vietnam
Air ticket ... checked!
Hotel ... checked!
Saigon, here we come.
Wednesday, October 08, 2003
Travelling with Class
....Economy class, that is....
I resign to the fact that I will always be sentenced to waitlist whenever I book a flight.
I conclude that there must be many people out there who are rich enough to travel......and just as many people too poor to travel on first or business class.
The Vietnam saga continues....
With the MAS Golden Holidays package dream fast turning into a nightmare, it may now turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
First, we start again with a clean slate, i.e. no air ticket, no hotel.
But, we know for sure now where we want to go. Saigon.
Next, booked our flights with Vietnam Airlines to Saigon (since MH costs more and they are fully booked, as usual).
Immediate confirmed seats - a pleasant surprise, courtesy of Vietnam Air. How nice!
Then, I find out my good friend will be in Bangkok for a week, next week.
What luck! What timing!
I smell a free vacation. How can an aspiring tai tai resist a freebie like this!
Free accomodation
Free airport transfer
Free flight (using my frequent flyer points)
Free food, if my tour guide skills are good?
As usual, I am on my mandatory waitlist sentence on the Sunday flight to Bangkok.
Almost too good to be true. My fingers are crossed and so are my toes!
So next week, I will be in:
Bangkok, on Sun to Tues
Saigon, on Wed to Sat (flight confirmed, hurrah!, hotel not confirmed....again, too many hotels to choose from)
Manila, on Sun..... back to work. Darn!
....all on good old economy class.
Photo: Travelling on cattle class, rounding the herd
....Economy class, that is....
I resign to the fact that I will always be sentenced to waitlist whenever I book a flight.
I conclude that there must be many people out there who are rich enough to travel......and just as many people too poor to travel on first or business class.
The Vietnam saga continues....
With the MAS Golden Holidays package dream fast turning into a nightmare, it may now turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
First, we start again with a clean slate, i.e. no air ticket, no hotel.
But, we know for sure now where we want to go. Saigon.
Next, booked our flights with Vietnam Airlines to Saigon (since MH costs more and they are fully booked, as usual).
Immediate confirmed seats - a pleasant surprise, courtesy of Vietnam Air. How nice!
Then, I find out my good friend will be in Bangkok for a week, next week.
What luck! What timing!
I smell a free vacation. How can an aspiring tai tai resist a freebie like this!
Free accomodation
Free airport transfer
Free flight (using my frequent flyer points)
Free food, if my tour guide skills are good?
As usual, I am on my mandatory waitlist sentence on the Sunday flight to Bangkok.
Almost too good to be true. My fingers are crossed and so are my toes!
So next week, I will be in:
Bangkok, on Sun to Tues
Saigon, on Wed to Sat (flight confirmed, hurrah!, hotel not confirmed....again, too many hotels to choose from)
Manila, on Sun..... back to work. Darn!
....all on good old economy class.
Photo: Travelling on cattle class, rounding the herd
