{"id":40,"date":"2012-08-07T03:28:00","date_gmt":"2012-08-07T03:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nosmallthing.net\/main\/?p=40"},"modified":"2021-05-08T14:19:19","modified_gmt":"2021-05-08T14:19:19","slug":"front-row","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nosmallthing.net\/main\/front-row\/","title":{"rendered":"Front Row"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>I don\u2019t travel for business much these days, and certainly vacation excursions are only booked after consulting every online super saver fare offer possible, so the likelihood of landing a First Class airline seat has not been something I have given much thought to.<\/div>\n

But this past week, I was asked to travel to New Hampshire with the VP of a marketing company I contract with to help deliver a client presentation where I had been the primary researcher. While happy for the opportunity to enhance my value with the company, my initial reaction to the travel itinerary for the day, a no luggage required, in and out trip, was far from upbeat.<\/p>\n

\u201cA six AM flight to Boston? You mean I need to get to O\u2019Hare by 5:00?\u201d<\/p>\n

I might joke that the simple solution for early morning obligations is to sleep faster<\/i>, but I was not too thrilled with the scenario of waking up at 3:45, especially when, typically, lights out<\/i> in my bedroom occurs around midnight.<\/p>\n

Without the need to pack anything besides my presentation binder and a few New Yorkers<\/i><\/b> that I hadn\u2019t gotten around to reading yet, I navigated through a light rain down a traffic-free expressway and actually arrived at the airport before 5:00 AM. I parked in short-term parking, a small luxury afforded business travelers, and strutted towards the check-n kiosks, eager to get a boarding pass then find a Micky D\u2019s for some sort of combo breakfast meal before take-off.<\/p>\n

Maybe things were flowing too smoothly. This thought occurred to me while I struggled to coax my boarding pass from one of those R2-D2 looking check-in machines that filled the front of the United terminal. After three tries, I gave up and stood in a line for problem check-ins. I got my boarding pass, noted the gate, then stumbled with hordes of other sleep deprived passengers through security. I quickly snarfed down the McDonald\u2019s breakfast I promised myself and walked to the gate at 5:30, just as boarding was about to begin. I looked at my boarding pass for the first time. My seat was \u201c1A.\u201d<\/p>\n

First Class. Front row. Apparently, since my travel companion had more than a few miles on his frequent flyer program and the tickets were booked on his credit card, I got to sit in the bulkhead, a totally novel perspective for a flight. I had more legroom than I ever imagined existing on a commercial plane. Fully stretched out (okay, I am only 5\u20194\u201d), my legs couldn\u2019t even touch the dividing wall.<\/p>\n

I got to look out the window as we pulled away from the gate. Hmmm. Leather, extra-wide seats, a stewardess to share with only a few other souls, knowing that I would be among the first off the plane after landing. In outlandishly languid motions, I withdrew a magazine from the canvas bag by my feet. Oh, I wanted my body to memorize the sensations of traveling in comfort. I tried to tell myself that more first class travel could be in my future, that I shouldn\u2019t expect air travel to be hurried, uncivil, or uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

We pulled away from the gate on time<\/b> and got into the air only a few minutes later. The stewardess brought out coffee and offered cold drinks and tea then asked me if I wanted cereal or a breakfast sandwich. I blinked at her like she must be on drugs. Then I remembered I was sitting in a different cabin in the sky<\/i>. Even though my Micky D breakfast was still sloshing around in my stomach, I had a second breakfast; a greaseless sausage and egg sandwich and bowl of fresh, did I say fresh<\/b>, fruit.<\/p>\n

I retrieved and returned reading material from my bag several times during the flight. Every twenty minutes or so, I tried to touch my toes against the panel wall in front of me. My traveling companion was asleep, completely undisturbed by my activities. I had to smile to myself, or, if I was smiling outwardly, I was smiling for<\/b> myself.<\/p>\n

I was swimming in extra space — in front of me and on each side. What can I say? I felt like a rock star. Sometimes, a couple extra inches is no small thing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I don\u2019t travel for business much these days, and certainly vacation excursions are only booked…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","grateful-dozen-winning-luck"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFront Row – No Small Thing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nosmallthing.net\/main\/front-row\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta 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