First class!

Flying is not necessarily my favorite mode of transportation. I generally cannot get comfortable in seats that are narrow, that recline from 90 degrees to 80 degrees, and the 1/2 ounce bag of pretzels they hand out like consolation prizes.

However, on this latest trip to California, D was able to get us first-class tickets using his miles! It was such a lovely and pleasant experience, it will be challenging to go back to coach. Clearly, the seats are much larger and roomier, and they recline to maybe 45 degrees. But maybe the best part of first-class was the food! Sure, it wasn't fine dining in the air. But, it was far improved from the bag of pretzels and small cup of soda.

First, they brought us warm salty nuts (I hear you snickering). They were delightful! A lovely combination of macadamia, walnuts, cashews, and almonds. Yum. They also brought all the beverages in real glass tumblers (not plastic!).


During the first leg of the trip, they served us dinner. I had the cheese ravioli, which were surprisingly pretty good for airplane food. Sure, it was probably just a few steps above Chef Boyardee, possibly frozen/re-heated, but nonetheless, it was nice to have a warm meal. Not to mention, the white cloth napkins, real silverware, and accompaniments such as a roll and dessert. The ravioli were smothered in a rich tomato sauce, and were stuffed with a nice blend of cheeses. Overall, I was pleased.


On the next leg of the trip, the flight attendant asked, "will you be joining us for a fruit and cheese platter?", to which I responded, "Heck yeah!" Just kidding. I politely accepted her invitation. The cheese was mediocre, just your basic cheddar and swiss, but the fruit was pretty good. The ham and roast beef were good also, but nothing beyond your standard luncheon meats. Again, what made it memorable was the presentation -- white cloth napkin, real silverware. I'm such a sucker for this stuff!


I didn't take any photos on the way back, but we had a shrimp salad for lunch. The shrimp were completely overcooked and rubbery, and the salad itself was basically iceberg lettuce (horror of horrors!). But it came with a minestrone soup, which was salty, but quite good. They also served the same ravioli for dinner, which was exactly the same as the first leg of the trip.

Overall, I am very pleased with the food that was served in first-class. Certainly, I would have rated it "thumbs down" if I had the same food at a restaurant elsewhere, but the fact that this food was served on an airplane made it somehow much tastier and palatable. This was probably my first and last experience flying first-class, but it won't soon be forgotten!