Dining at 35,0000 Feet & the Huge Mistake I Made When Flying Delta One

Welcome to the 567th Tablescape Thursday!

I’ll be leaving for Ohio tomorrow and though I had plans to set a table yesterday, I found my self totally distracted thinking about the last element I needed for this little makeover my daughter-in-law and I are planning for my two grandson’s bedroom. I had everything we needed except for one thing: a great lamp.

A friend suggested I check At Home, a store she loves to visit whenever she’s home visiting family here. Have you ever shopped there? I think I’ve been there before but I’m not really sure. It’s located here in the same building where GardenRidge used to be and honestly, the merchandise and the layout of the store looked very similar. It makes me wonder if the same company that owned Garden Ridge also owns, At Home?

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours going up and down all the lamp aisles in At Home mixing and matching lamps with shades. During that process, I discovered something rather interesting: At Home carries a lot of the same lamps I’ve been seeing on Amazon! I was surprised to see many of the lamps I had been eyeing on Amazon right there on the shelves in At Home.

All I seem to be able to focus on right now is this room I’m working on, so for today’s Tablescape Thursday, instead of sharing a table setting here at home, I thought I’d fill one of the post requests I’ve been getting since my return home from England: What it was like to fly Delta’s International Business Class, aka Delta One? This is also a great time to share the elaborate meals we had during our flight. The food was definitely not your standard fare, nor was the service.

 

Flying & Dining in Delta One

I’ve never flown Delta One when flying internationally and I was both excited and little nervous not knowing what to expect. I felt a bit starry-eyed as I boarded the plane and turned left to enter the First Class/Business Class cabin on the Airbus 330 that would be taking us to London.

Before I left for my trip, I had shared that one of my bucket list goals was to fly Delta One once in my lifetime. Just once I wanted to experience sleeping all night during a flight in one of Delta’s flatbed seats. Spoiler Alert: I completely failed! If you have any intentions of flying Delta One one day, I hope this post helps you learn from my HUGE mistake.

Since I had promised you in a previous post that I would share this experience, after reaching my seat I turned and snapped one very quick photo of the Business Class cabin.

What's it like to fly Delta One

 

The Business Class cabin on my plane was laid out in what’s called a reverse herringbone layout as shown in the plane on the far left. I was seated where you see the red box. I chose that seat back on January 1st of this year when I booked the flight. I pretty much had my pick of seats at that time but after reading some of the info at the website, SeatGuru, I chose the number 3 spot.

3 Delta One Seating Configurations, Reverse Herringbone, standard herringbone and staggered seating

 

Here’s a photo from Delta’s website showing how the seats fold out to make a flatbed for sleeping.

Delta One Configuration, Reverse Herringbone

 

This little spot was going to be my home for the next 8 hours. I found a fat, fluffy pillow and a white blanket waiting for me in my seat.

Just Finding My Seat, Delta One

 

On the nearby side table, I found a water bottle and a Tumi Toiletries kit. I’ve often heard about the kits you get when flying business class so was eager to see what was inside.

Head Phones, Tumi Toiletry Kit, Delta One

 

I only opened it briefly on the flight, so last night I opened it and explored more closely. This is what I found inside: Sleep Mask, Mouthwash, Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Hand Cleanser, Small Pen and a Pair of Socks. Also included in the bag were two Le Labo products: Hand Pomade and Lip Balm.

Tumi Toiletries Kit, Flying Delta One

 

Once at my seat, I sat down and buckled in, snapping a quick photo for you and for my son who had texted asking if I’d share some photos. This gives you a general idea of the amount of space I had, although it feels more spacious than the photos probably show.

Spacious Seat on Delta One

 

I ended up stuffing my plastic-wrapped pillow and blanket into the little area where your feet go when you’re sleeping. I had already stowed my carry-on bag into the overhead and there was plenty of room on the floor for my “personal item.” I kept expecting an attendant to ask me to put it in the overhead bin for takeoff, but that never happened. I noticed that some of the rules seem a tad more relaxed in Business Class.

Plenty of Space Flying Delta One

 

We had been 1-1/2 hours late boarding. Delta gate attendants kept announcing that the late boarding was due to the lack of a cleaning crew. Once we were finally allowed to board, our flight attendants in business class seemed rushed, announcing every few minutes to put away all electronic devices because we would be leaving soon. Another ten minutes would go by and they would make that same announcement again. Then another 10-15 minutes passed and we still hadn’t budged from the gate.

I have no idea why they asked us to put everything away so early because we sat for quite a while, so long that I started to wonder if there was another issue that had delayed us besides just the lack of a cleaning crew.

Shortly after boarding, we were offered a “pre-flight” drink. One of the choices suggested was a Mimosa so that’s what I ordered. I immediately regretted that decision once it arrived because of how sickly sweet it was. I should have just ordered a simple glass of champagne to celebrate my first-ever flight internationally via business class/Delta One.

Pre-flight Drink, Delta

 

During the long wait, before our plane finally took off, I stared at the controls in front of me. The one on the right was obviously for working the TV, something I knew I wouldn’t be watching. But what the heck was up with that complicated seat adjustment chart on the left! lol The only thing that appeared to be missing was the eject button! A flight attendant must have read my mind because though I never mentioned it, later in the flight she jokingly stated only she knew where that button was hidden.

The flight attendants we had on this flight were all very experienced, and though appearing rushed and a bit stressed by the late start, they seemed to retain their sense of humor. They were super nice when we were landing, pointing out all the major landmarks we were viewing through the windows. Apparently, we were landing on a different runway than the one they normally land on because the flight attendants were amazed by all the popular landmarks we were able to see. I took some photos and will try to share those later on.

Seat Controls, Flying Delta One

 

One thing that disappointed me (and I found kinda odd) was after we finally took off, we were not offered anything to drink for almost an hour. I looked down at my phone and it had been about 50 minutes (maybe longer) and other than the pre-flight drink, we had not been offered anything else.

Where was that amazing Business Class service you always hear about? Around 50 minutes-1 hour into the flight, we were offered another drink and a snack of assorted nuts. I had a glass of white wine and water.

Snacks before main meal when flying Delta One

 

A nice touch: At some point early on in the flight, the attendants came around giving out little Delta pins and info cards about our plane. I took two for my grandsons.

Gifts for Children, Flying Delta One

 

Airbus A330 Info

 

A neatly folded, hot washcloth was offered prior to dinner.

Hot Cloth for Hands Before Meal, Delta One

 

Next came the food and I was blown away by how many appetizers/salads we received. Truthfully, I could have made a complete meal out of just this! I think the soup was corn chowder, if I’m remembering correctly. The salad was excellent, as was the shrimp! I can’t remember much about the bread but I do remember it was all delicious!

Appetizer, Delta One

 

When you fly Delta One, you get an email in advance asking you to make your meal selections. There were several great choices and I chose the one that sounded like it would least upset my easily lactose-triggered tummy.

 

I chose “Bistro Steak.” Don’t remember now what the yellow stuff was, it may have been squash casserole. I do remember it was all delicious! Note the teeny purple and white, salt/pepper shakers. They were so cute! When flying business class, you eat off real china, drink from real glassware and eat with metal utensils. Not too shabby!

Yummy Steak on Delta One Flight

 

I really wanted to order the ice cream sundae I’d seen in YouTube videos of when others have flown in Business Class, but I again I opted for a more tummy-friendly choice. I don’t remember the name of the pie but it was served with a raspberry sauce. You can tell I’m not a foodie, food names never stay in my head. All I ever remember is if tasted delicious.

Delicious Dessert Delta One Flight

 

After dinner, here’s how my little corner of the world looked as I tried to get some sleep. It gets super dark in the business class cabin once the lights are turned off.

Sleeping on an International Delta Flight, Delta One

 

So before I tell you how I completely screwed up my first ever Delta One experience, this was our breakfast the next morning. I think that was an omelet, though honestly, I can’t remember. I didn’t eat very much because I had not slept a wink the entire night. Yup, you heard right. I flew Delta One with flatbed seats and never slept at all, though I did try.

In fact, I got less sleep on this flight than I’ve ever gotten on any flight I’ve ever taken overnight, even when flying Coach/Main cabin!

Shocking, right?!

Delta One Breakfast

 

I was so upset with myself that I had blown the opportunity to get some rest on my flight over. So here’s what happened and hopefully, if you ever fly Delta One, this will help you avoid the same fate.

First of all, I had NO IDEA that our elaborate meal was going to take up half the entire flight time. As mentioned, after our pre-flight drink, we had been flying for almost a full hour of our 8-hour flight by the time we were served a few munchies and a drink. Then the various courses that you saw above in the post were given out over the next several hours. By the time my tray was picked up and the cabin was darkened for sleeping, the attendant commented, “You only have four hours to sleep.” What?!

We had already been in the air for over 4 hours! How could it take 4 hours to just eat dinner? I was so upset by that news, I couldn’t sleep at all. I mostly just tossed and turned on the very firm/hard surface of my flatbed seat, stewing on how I had blown my chance for a good night’s rest. Needless to say, I didn’t feel well-rested when we landed in London. This was not how I had wanted my first Delta One experience to go!

What's it like to fly Delta One

 

The Flight Back Home and Learning From a Pro

On my daytime flight back home via Delta’s partner, Virgin Atlantic, I had chosen to fly Premium. When I booked my flight, Premium was almost the same cost as flying Comfort Plus. I had never heard of Premium prior to booking this flight and was curious to try it. Premium is supposed to be a step up from Comfort Plus, but not exactly Business/First Class.

I can tell you, it definitely felt like flying First Class. The seats were super wide and roomy with tons of legroom and they tilted way, way, way back. The food was well above anything you would normally be served in the main cabin. It even included a delightful “Mile High Tea.” I think I took some photos of that, need to find those to share because it was wonderful! The cabin service was excellent! I would totally fly Premium again in a heartbeat.

 

Learning From a Pro

On the flight back home, I sat and chatted with the guy beside me. During our conversations, he mentioned that he flys frequently for his job (CEO of his own company) and that he flys Delta One a lot. So how does he do it and actually get some good sleep? Simple! He said he eats prior to boarding the plane. After boarding, once he finishes his pre-flight drink, he puts his seat in the lie-flat position, puts on his sleep mask and noise-canceling headphones and goes straight to sleep. He said he normally gets around 6 hours sleep, waking in time for breakfast.

Who knew the only way to get a good night’s rest flying from Atlanta to London is to forgo all the food/drinks offered and just go to bed?! Guess what I’ll be doing if I ever splurge on a flight in Delta One again! Yup! I’ll completely skip all the meal festivities and go straight to sleep!

 

What’s Your Priority?

So basically, when flying 8 hours overnight in business class, you need to ask yourself one question: What’s your priority, getting a good night’s rest or eating a really nice meal at 35,000 feet for four hours.

For me, the answer will always be sleeping as long as I possibly can. I’m super annoyed with myself that I didn’t realize in advance that I would need to skip all of the eating to get a decent night’s rest. Why didn’t I know that? I guess I didn’t expect the food portion of the flight to take up half the flying time!

I didn’t fly Delta One to eat an elaborate dinner and breakfast and get 3 hours sleep. I flew Delta One so I would get at least 6-7 hour’s sleep and arrive feeling awesome and ready to enjoy our first day touring England. I totally screwed it up, but now I’ll know what to do if I ever do fly Business Class/Delta One overnight again from the U.S. to Europe.

I hope you found this helpful if you ever decide to fly Delta One overnight. I wish someone (like the gentleman who sat next to me on the flight home) had shared the “right way” to do it when sleep is your main priority. I’m totally doing it his way the next time, if there ever is a next time.

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Comments

  1. Susan, you didn’t mess it up, Delta messed it up. They must drag out the food service in order to keep people busy and calm. But like you suggested, most people on a long overnight flight probably want to sleep! Too bad that happened, but at least now you know.

    I’ve never heard of premium before, either! Sounds good. Approximately how much more than coach would you say it cost? (% wise)

    Oh, have a wonderful, safe and fun trip to see the little guys again. Can’t wait to see the ‘metamorphosis!’ How fun. A whole new generation to decorate for. 😀 And now, if Chip and Nancy will just give you a couple of grand-daughters ….. 😀

    (imagine the fun you’d have.) 🙂

  2. Sounds like the way to travel, sleep or no! Thanks Susan!

  3. I travelled first class sleeper on British Airways several years ago and did not get a wink of sleep, either. I vowed never to do it again. It is not as comfortable as one would think. I simply avoid overnight flights, especially when flying to London. There is a flight from Boston that leaves around 8:30 AM. The flight time of 6 hours, coupled with the time difference of 5 or six hours puts you in a London hotel room by 10 PM local time. I to go to bed as soon as I arrive and I find it very easy to adjust to local time the next day. I prefer to spend the difference in fare on a nice (and comfortable) London hotel room.

    • jinny spencer says

      I agree with Imbi’s comments. I learned this many years ago – avoid the night flights and fly during the day. Contrary to what you may think, you don’t lose a day of travel – your late afternoon or early evening arrival allows you the chance to sleep or rest and be ready to start the next day.

  4. Claudette Flanigan says

    Do you think it was a fluke that it took so long for the dinner? Four hours is extreme. Personally I would still go with the food. I can sleep any time, but enjoying that wonderful meal would be my choice.

    • Cyndi Raines says

      We’ll, I think it’s a shame that you didn’t get your meal in a timely manner and at least 6 hours of sleep. I would let them know about it and how very disappointing it was. I wonder if the “cleaning crew” that wasn’t on time perhaps really was the “cooking crew” and that is why there was such a delay in the food being served. For the price you paid (and I’m guessing it was a pretty penny), you should have received the very good food and good rest. Bummer! But happy that England was delightful and now you are on to a new adventure!

    • I don’t think so, based on what the guy next to me said on the flight back home. Maybe if a flight is longer than 8 hours, you could request all the food be brought out at once and still get a decent amount of sleep. The food was good but not worth missing sleep.

  5. Susan, thanks very much for all this information. I always learn so much from you on sooooo many varied topics. It’s incredible. I’ve even told you before you will always be my husband’s hero as you had a post years ago on a fabulous wallpaper remover product. After he tried so many different things to remove 1970’s fuzzy/hairy paper, he used the recommended remover and it worked like a charm. Anytime I reference you to him I say, “You know, the wallpaper remover lady.” and his reply is, “Oh, I love her.” Ha!

    Anyway, my butt will likely never sit in an airplane seat ever again, but I enjoyed this post very much. I appreciate the most helpful information and, also, all the pics of the plane, food, etc. And ya never know, maybe I will find myself on a plane again one day. Stranger things have happened…hubby never thought he’d be in an all out tug of war with hairy wallpaper either….and losing!!!

    • Awww, love that Kat! I’m so happy it worked for you guys, too. It’s the only wallpaper remover I’ll ever use. I love that stuff, too! Hope they never quit making it!

  6. That is crazy! Was this a one-off mistake on Delta’s part? Why would they leave you with a four hour meal? I can’t believe passengers haven’t complained about this.

  7. That is so disappointing, Susan. One would think that an advantage of flying at night would be to get some sleep.

    I’ve only flown that distance twice in my life. The first time was a little over 20 years ago, and I went to Paris and London with my dad. He was an experienced traveler, and planned the trip in increments. We flew from San Francisco to New York the first day, spent the night close to JFK, then the next morning flew from New York to Paris. The NY to Paris trip was on the Concorde, so only 3 hours and 28 minutes, but staggering the travel time over two days made things considerably easier. The second time, about 10 years ago, was from San Francisco to New York to Brussels, all at once and it was much harder on me.

  8. Hi Susan,

    There’s actually another option which most airlines offer. Usually you can request to have the entire meal served all at once and then go right to sleep. They even have a little sign you can put up by your seat that indicates that was your choice. I generally fly United, so I cannot say for sure if Delta offers that, but I’m guessing they do.

    2 other hints I learned through all my years of trans-Pacific business travel. First, forget the alcohol. If you do fall asleep, you will be up an hour later and for the rest of the flight. It dehydrates you.

    Instead, I drink only water and right after the meal, I take an ambien. I’m usually good for about 4 hours sleep. One caveat: if you’ve never taken ambien, be sure to try it at home first to make sure you do well with it. Some people have strange dreams on ambien… 😉

    Happy travels!
    Lory

    • That sounds like a good idea! I haven’t had time, but I’m going to call Delta and asked them about this and find out if you can request the food early on. But I still don’t want to wait an hour for it and it may take them that long since it took them almost an hour to just serve us a drink and nuts after we took off. I think I’d rather enjoy the preflight drink and go straight to sleep. An ambien sounds like a great idea, too!

      • My father used Ambien when flying to New Zealand and loved it. I have tried it in the past and find, though it helps me sleep, the next night I can’t sleep at all. So, I have decided it isn’t worth it.

        • Carillon, I’ve had the same issue when taking just a small pinch off of a Lunesta tablet. I don’t even have to take the whole thing and it knocks me out, but then I have the same issue of not being able to sleep the next night. They call it rebound insomnia and it’s listed as a possible side effect.

  9. Susan I enjoyed reading about your trip but was disappointed for you concerning the time spent with other things when you could have been sleeping. I am fortunate enough to be able to take trips every other year and I’ve never flown first class or even business section. Never felt like spending the extra money. Now that I’ve heard your story I think I’ll stick with the “Poor Man’s” section. . I always love your stories Susan

    • Kathy, if you ever fly Delta or Virgin Atlantic, look at their “Premium” class. It was awesome on the flight back home and felt like I was in First Class!

  10. Nancy Hill says

    So sorry your flight over was a disappointment, but I am glad you discovered the premium option. That sounds great, and I will look into that on future flights. I have taken three sleeping compartment flights, but all were longer, so there was no problem having enough time to sleep. (Plus, my husband–who loves to fly–had flown between NY and Delhi a few years earlier said he would never take a really long flight again t without a sleeper.) So, when we flew NY to Aukland, Sydney to Tokyo, and Tokyo to Chicago, we splurged on sleepers and were so glad we did. I would always try to get a sleeper when the flights over nine hours or so–especially if trying to optimize how you feel on the day you land.

  11. Brenda Lawrence says

    This was an interesting post Susan and I loved seeing the photo’s. The food looked really yummy! I can imagine the “seat beds” where very firm but looked like you had a lot of room. I know nothing about flying. The two times I have flown, my late husband took care of everything. Of course we flew in the poor section. lol I haven’t a clue how to buy tickets-he did all on line, or to even navigate an airport so I won’t be flying unless I have someone who knows what they are doing. lol I do love learning from you though, just in case! lol Have a wonderful and safe trip to Ohio! Looking forward to seeing the boy’s new bedroom. Hugs, Brenda

  12. At Home is owned by the same company that owned Garden Ridge.

  13. Susan, what an interesting post. Loved hearing about your flying experiences. I know those grand boys love all the time they spend with you.
    Have fun with the family.

    • Thanks, Nancy! We’ve been having sooo much fun. My oldest grandson keeps saying he wish I wouldn’t leave and could stay here forever. My youngest keeps giving me kisses all the time. I will miss them terribly.

  14. Excited to read about your journey across the pond. Have you ever considered travelling to Europe on the RMS Queen Mary 2? Anything’s better than flying these days.

  15. When I go to London on the 19th, I will qualify for American’s new Flagship Lounge in Dallas where I’ll be able to eat. However, I got the menu for my flight and it has short ribs which is my favorite meal. I will have a little more than an hour longer than you had for the flight and if I can manage 2-3 hours sleep, I will be happy. I plan on taking advantage of the arrivals lounge for a shower which I find really helps with the lack of sleep. I always wanted to fly Virgin so thanks for the review!
    Even with your lack of sleep (probably excitement affected that) I hope you enjoyed the flight.

  16. Susan,
    As a flight attendant for another major airline….we try to get the drinks out in the first twenty mins …with dinner to follow.
    Most people want to eat and go to sleep… dinner should not take four hours!
    Great advice from other passenger..I would add never eat meat on an airplane.

  17. Another hint for sleeping in business or first, I put on PJs and take off my bra for those long hauls. In the morning I change back into my travel outfit. Just put those items into your personal carry on.

  18. Next time! You know you will!

    Great post with LOTS of information!

  19. Curious how the Away bag worked for you on this trip? Considering purchasing one for a week long fly drive trip to Maine. Were you able to stow this one in the overhead bins on your own?

    • Lin, it worked great! It did fit overhead with no problem. I think the only planes where bags of that type won’t fit are the small commuter jets. They pretty much make everyone check their bag, no matter how small…on those planes. But the Away works great for larger planes, the kind you usually fly on vacation on when traveling.

  20. Susan, so sorry you didn’t fully enjoy your flight since you didn’t get enough sleep. I know this can be tiring since my husband also needs to sleep for at least 5-6 hours to feel good. I am different from him: I can’t handle all the excitement so I never sleep on a trip (not even on a 12-hours flight), plus I’m too scared something could happen (God forbid!) and I didn’t notice because I slept! Nope, I have to be awake and I usually start immediately a conversation with seatmates (you just know if they’re willing to have a talk with you … I don’t want to be a pain in their neck! lol) Plus, I enjoy all the meals and the coffee … lots of coffee! 😀
    Have a safe trip to Ohio, Susan, and lots of fun arranging your grandsons’ new bedroom! 🙂
    PS: Not sure why, but your last e-mail/reply landed in the spam box?

  21. That’s so cool. Minus you not sleeping. I’ve only flown once in my life but I’d probably give that a try. 🙂
    Have a lovely day,
    Kim

  22. Ann Marie says

    When flying to London, I usually try to get a 9 or 10 p.m. flight and work all day. By the time we start to taxi, I am exhausted and just go to sleep. I won’t say I sleep deeply, although one time I did sleep the entire way and it was awesome. I always eat before I get on the plane and do not eat anything on the plane except for the “breakfast” before we land. But even then, I usually have no appetite for that and save it for later. I also always carry snacks in my carry on and fill up a water bottle once I am through security so if I do wake up and am hungry/thirsty, I have my own food/water I can eat/drink. Plus it is a lot healthier.

    I never drink alcohol on the plane because that is guaranteed to keep me awake. At most I will have a cup of non-caffeinated tea and then call it a night. However, I may have a glass of wine or something if I have a day flight and I am wide awake already.

  23. So sorry that your flight did not meet your expectations! I think Delta dropped the ball on that one, it should not have taken 4 hours for dinner service. In my recent (older!) years, I have splurged and taken Business to Europe from New York, returning on Premium Economy, which affords significant a saving. I usually have the evening meal (again, never took 4 hours!!) and ask the attendant not to wake me for breakfast. This has worked out pretty well! Anyway, loved seeing your photos of Bramasole a while back! #underthetuscansun. Happy travels!

  24. Thanks for all the flying details. I rarely fly but I did go to Paris last fall. I flew United (even though I booked a flight on Lufthansa through Travelocity). Didn’t find out until the night before that I was actually booked on United. I purposely didn’t book United because I heard that seats are small, crowded, and barely recline. I heard right! BTW on rewardexpert.com/blog I found this information: In addition to the usual selection of multi-course meals, you can also request an expedited meal service if your goal is to get extra rest before arrival. Also in Delta One you can choose from 17 special meals (the same option is available in Delta First class meals and all economy class flights )

  25. I love flying business class so much that I’ve just about made it a requirement for international travel nowadays. It’s almost like a mini vacation in itself. However I find that they are more necessary for the really long Trans Pacific flights. For Trans Atlantic I can get away with Premier if need be. I just need a way to recline and stretch my legs out. I can’t do Economy anymore. I need more space and I’m willing to save so that I’m more comfortable. I don’t sleep well on planes but your meal service was strangely long. I find that attendants like to get the meal service over so they can let people sleep (there’s less work when people are sleeping too). I’ve flown Delta and United and a variety of foreign lines. If you fly over the Pacific in the future, give serious consideration to using an Asian carrier like Singapore or Japan Airlines etc. They have THE most incredible service whether business class or economy. The mileage is transferrable within the airline group as well (ex: Star Alliance etc).

  26. Kathy Shearer says

    I am so sorry you had that experience with Delta One! I hope you had an opportunity to let them know how disappointed you were with your experience.

    I live in Houston, and we usually fly to Europe in United Airline’s Business Class. They serve a beverage as soon as you sit in your seat (before take-off) and take your dinner selection. Dinner is served within an hour into the flight and the attention that they give to the passengers has always been amazing. I don’t sleep well when flying, but our last flight I got about 4 hours.

  27. Hi! Just had to defend Delta One. I splurged last summer on my flight to Rome from Atlanta. I had a glass of champagne in my hand before the plane was through boarding. Our food and drinks were super prompt and delicious. Both my grandson and I got several hours of sleep and were ready to start walking for hours around Rome the day we landed. You need to give them another chance, because was nothing like our experience. Hope it’s soon and you have lots of fun.

  28. “The rabbit who wants to fall asleep” is my go to audio download for sleeping on airplanes. With good ear phones & the lulling voice of the readers (your choice male or female), it is magical. Yeah, I know it is designed for kid & its a bit ridiculous to be using it but no one else can hear or know that you are relaxing to and falling asleep along with Roger Rabbit.

  29. Susan, so sorry the flight didn’t live up to expectations as know you were looking forward to it. I don’t do the amount of flying like I use to do but always did it with an overlay of some kind and booked into a Hotel to catch a few winks prior to departure. (In other words, I traveled similar to Lisa D.’s comment.)
    Have fun with the grandchildren and decorating their room. -Brenda-

  30. I fly in “steerage” but like your informant, never eat on a flight and put on my sleep mask and earplugs as soon as we are airborne. I would never be able to sleep after a huge meal, served in the wee hours UK time, so eat before boarding. I usually get 5 or so hours of sleep and wake in time to get 5 minutes in the restroom to freshen before the rush. I’d love the chance to lie down flat though!

  31. Susan, what a fun post! And thanks for the SeatGuru; what a great site. Family is travelling from SoCal to the Azores for vacation and settled for Main Cabin Extra — after looking at SeatGuru I hope they’ll survive it. I passed it on for their next trip — like you, they love to travel.

  32. Alicia Brown says

    I am in Venice right now, and flew into Barcelona about 3 weeks ago and was fortunate enough to have a fairly empty flight. (Definitely a thing of the past!) Not only was I able to stretch out across the six seats in the middle, but my husband and son were able to do the same thing. I fly home on Saturday and am hoping this flight is the same although I’m not holding my breath. I arrived in Barcelona refreshed, ready to go, and with not a minute of jet lag as I left around 11:00 pm from the US and arrived around 10 in the morning local time. First time ever.

    I would LOVE to have one of those bed seats, but I just know I would have done the same thing you did!

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