My true passion when it comes to methods of travel is overlanding, and I feel it’s the best way to experience a country. Over the years I’ve taken many testing and difficult journeys via this form of travel. From the various long haul journeys throughout the Andes in South America. To one insane bus journey that Liza and I endured in Tanzania, that lasted a whopping 47 hours.
I’ve hitched mile upon mile on all manner of trucks and jeeps, including one 10 hour stint upon hessian bags stuffed with dried fish, in the Congo many years ago. When it comes to hard core travel, It’s fair to say I’ve earned my stripes so to speak.
Around Christmas time this years I was arranging a short trip to the Philippines, for a quick island getaway. For these flight I was to use a stack of frequent flier points I’d amassed over the last few years. Anyone who’s booked flights using their frequent flier points, knows all to well that trying to get flights to destinations you desire at the time you want, is not always the easiest of tasks.
I was playing around with different air routes, and managed to work out that the best way to return to Australia was via Hong Kong. Everything was seen to be working out fine, but when I typed in the date to arrange the Cathay Pacific flight between Manila and Hong Kong, I hit a brick wall. All that was available was first and business class, on their Boeing 747-400 aircraft. As Hong Kong is one of my most favorite destinations as far as cities go, I really wanted to go via this route.
First Class in Seat 1A – Just Another New Travel Experience
The elusive seats 1A and 1K on a Boeing 747. If you were on your own I'd say 1D would be the pick of the bunch though.
As a humble electrician by trade, it would be obvious to say that I’ve never flown first class before. I sat pondering, and though to myself ‘Travel is all about experiencing new things, and travel via first class is definitely something new’, so I decided to look into this a little further. As it turned out, for this short 2 hour flight I only required 22,000 points for first class, and the economy fair was only 9,000 points. A difference for sure, but not insurmountable.
I had the points to cover this (just), so I pushed the send button and booked the flight. I was now super excited and proceeded to the seat selection chart to book the seats. As the flight was still a few weeks away, the elusive seats 1A and 1K (the two seats right in the nose cone of the 747), were both available. So I selected the two premier seats, and the deal was done (or so I thought).
Wind the clock forward a few weeks and we are now going through the madness at Manila International Airport. We’ve had our bags scanned and proceeding to make our way to the check in counter. Running my eyes across the counters, I was surprised to see no first class sign. There was just your usual smattering of economy booths, and the solitary business class counter at the end of the line. We scratches our heads a little and the proceed to the business class counter with our e-tickets.
Sorry, But No First Class on this Flight – Goodbye Seat 1A
The lady behind the counter looked us up and down and stated that, ‘this line is for business class, and economy check was over there’. Pointing at the large line of people all jostling for a counter through a multitude of zig zaging barriers.
I was a little perplexed that she though we weren’t business class passengers, as I had actually put on my Sunday best for the flight. We replied to her, ‘sorry but we have first class tickets’, to which she was a little surprised and quickly snapped them up and told us to wait here.
On return the attendant advised us that there had been an aircraft change, and there was no first class available on this flight. She apologized and informed us that we would have to be down graded to business class. It’s fair to say I was a little disappointed.
Not only would we not get to fly first class, I would also not be sitting in that elusive seat 1A. The check in attendant also muttered something about a complimentary downgrade pack and the use of the first class lounge, as she pointed us towards the immigration gate.
Whilst we were about to board the flight, our names were called and we were pulled aside. A lady not dressed in the standard Cathay Pacific attire, placed a clipboard in front of me with a green document attached to it.
The document was written in English, and It’s fair to say I’m no layer, but I did get the gist of what the document was about. You guessed it, basically it was waiving our rights to any further compensation, as we’d been down graded.
The boarding pass from my business class seat. It was certainly a long way from hitching on a truck full of dried fish.
As we were now late boarding the plane, we quickly signed the documents and were each handed a plane paper envelope containing a wad of cash. We quickly boarded the plane, settled into our comfortable business class seats (but not as comfortable as first class!) and then proceeded to open the envelope.
Upon opening I found a total of 3,000 pesos in each (approx US$70), for our downgrade trouble. A bit of a joke really, considering how much the actual cost difference between the two flight would be worth.
Although the business class service and food was quite nice (and easy to get used to), that experience of flying first class in seat 1A was just not to be. I felt this was my best opportunity to see life from the other side of the fence so to speak. Maybe it was just never meant to be, and I will never get to sit in 1A. Can’t say I’ll lose any sleep over it, but it would have been a nice experience.
Your Thoughts and Comments
What’s your take, did I sell out on my backpacking roots by booking this flight? Is there anyone out there, who’s flown first class? From the style of travel I tend to experience and write about, my guess is not but you just never know.
