I'm a bit amazed at the polar extremes of service I'm seeing out of British Airways. On my trip out from Miami to Heathrow, they knocked me over with their luxury, thoughtfulness and humor. They even gave me socks, for crying out loud. Not just me, but everybody, and without our even asking. That was the good life.
However, on this flight, right now, from Copenhagen to Heathrow, I'm just shocked. It started at the ticket counter, where I wasn't even asked the ubiquitous Important (yet impotent) Questions! Nobody asked me anything about my luggage at all, not whether I was the one who packed it or if it has been continuously in my possession or anything.
I also wasn't very happy that the flight crew didn't visually inspect that carry-ons were stowed properly and seat belts fastened. That is, I was unhappy until they finally gave a glance round as we were taxiing, after having delivered the safety demonstration, which, by the way, did not include the part where you tug the straps on the sides of your oxygen mask. I was bitterly disappointed.
The liftoff was a freaking nightmare. One sensation I absolutely do NOT want to encounter while barreling down the runway is that of swerving right and left like a drunk driver with a snake down the pants. I didn't feel so swell, even after we finally lurched into the air and managed not to die.
In fact, I'm not entirely reassured even now that we're at cruising altitude and lunch has been served and cleaned up already. (I didn't have any, though.) I have to worry about whether this pilot is one of those Michael Moore mentioned in his book, who make barely more than half what I, a tech support weenie, make per year.
I'll let you know if we live through the landing. If so, I have a reasonably posh flight back to Miami to look forward to. I hope.
[This entry and the flight-themed ones that follow were written on the new Omnigo 100 that Wlofie gave me. For allegedly "obsolete" ware, this little PDA does for me what no other so far has managed - its integrated keyboard lets me freely write while away from the computer.]
