1ST CLASS ROUND THE WORLD

ON THE 29TH JUNE I STARTED THE TRIP I HAD PROMISED MYSELF BEFORE I TURNED THE AGE OF 30 (I’VE GOT 4 MONTHS TO GO). A FIRST CLASS TRIP AROUND THE WORLD. I HAD BOOKED MY FLIGHT THROUGH THE STAR ALLIANCE PARTNERS STARTING FROM CAPE TOWN IN SOUTH AFRICA (WHERE I LIVE)WITH LUFTHANSA.

MY TRIP WAS TO TAKE ME FROM CAPE TOWN TO FRANKFURT, LONDON, RIO, BUENOS ARIES, CHICAGO, VANCOUVER, TOKYO, BEIJING, BANGKOK, HONG KONG, SINGAPORE AND BACK HOME TO CAPE TOWN. THIS WAS ALL TO BE DONE WITHIN 3 1/2 WEEKS.THE AIRLINES I WAS TO UTILIZE: LUFTHANSA, VARIG, UNITED, AIR CANADA, THAI AND SINGAPORE.

HAVING COMPLETED MY TRIP, THE ABOVE AIRLINES RANK AS FOLLOWS:

1ST : SINGAPORE AIRLINES – IN CLASS OF ITS OWN. FROM THE MOMENT YOU CHECK IN AT THEIR KERB SIDE FACILITIES TO THE RECEIVING OF YOUR LUGGAGE AT THE END. GIVEN PYAMAS TO SLEEP IN. THE LARGEST TOILET ON AN AEROPLANE I HAVE EVER BEEN IN. THE BEST TOILET BAG AND ACCESSORIES. STUNNING FOOD. I COULD NOT FAULT ANYTHING. I FLEW SING. FROM HONG KONG TO SINGAPORE (3HR30MINS) AND SINGAPORE TO CAPE TOWN (12HR35MINS)

2ND : LUFTHANSA – NOT WHAT I EXPECTED. NOTHING PARTICULARLY BAD BUT NOT OUTSTANDING. FIRST CLASS IS UPSTAIRS WHICH WAS VERY CLAUSTROPHOBIC. NO SPACE FOR HAND LUGGAGE EITHER IN THE VERY SMALL OVER HEAD COMPARTMENTS. NICE TOUCHES SUCH AS FRESH CUT ROSE IN YOUR ARM REST, A GIFT OF A BOGNER SWEAT SHIRT, AND QUITE A NICE BOGNER NYLON TOILET BAG. SLEEPER SEATS WHICH DO NOT LIE COMPLETELY FLAT – UNLIKE ON SINGAPORE AIRLINES. INFLIGHT VIDEO SYSTEM ANNOYING, AS YOU HAVE TO ASK FOR THE VIDEOS YOU WANT EACH TIME YOU WANT TO VIEW SOMETHING DIFFERENT. FOOD WAS GOOD. CHECK-IN SERVICE WAS A LET DOWN WITH ANYONE AND EVERYONE CHECKING IN AT THE FIRST CLASS COUNTER. TRAVELLING FROM FRANKFURT TO CAPE TOWN I HAD THE SMALLEST BUSINESS CLASS SEAT I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED. FLEW LUFTHANSA FROM CAPE TOWN TO FRANKFURT (12HRS15MIN) AND FROM FRANKFURT TO LONDON 1HR45MIN). TRA

3RD : THAI – FLYING FROM BEIJING TO BANGKOK, NEARLY A 5 HOUR FLIGHT, NO FIRST CLASS AVAILABLE ONLY BUSINESS. WHICH WAS COMPARABLE TO SOME OTHER AIRLINES FIRST CLASS. NICE FOOD AND FREE PENS ! TOILET BAG BETTER THAN THAT OF UNITED FIRST CLASS. FLYING FROM BANGKOK TO HONG KONG , ONLY A 2 1/2 HR FLIGHT, FIRST CLASS AVAILABLE. NO TOILET BAG OR FREE GIFTS. FOOD GOOD.

4TH : VARIG – ONLY 1 ROW OF FIRST CLASS ON THE PLANE, SO I EXPECTED “OUT OF THIS WORLD” SERVICE. CHECK IN STAFF VERY RUDE. BECAUSE I WAS WEARING ONLY JEANS AND A T-SHIRT I WAS TOLD TO GO TO ECONOMY CLASS CHECK IN. WHEN I REMINDED HIM TO LOOK AT MY TICKET HE PROMPTLY SHUT UP ! USE OF VIRGIN CLUB HOUSE @ HEATHROW WAS AN EXPERIENCE. THIS IS HOW ALL LOUNGES SHOULD BE. STEWARDESSES WERE NOT COMFORTABLE IN SPEAKING ENGLISH, SO AS LITTLE CONTACT AS POSSIBLE WAS MADE WITH ME. FOOD WAS GOOD – EXCELLENT IRANIAN CAVIAR. TOILET BAG WAS A STYLISH “FILOFAX” TYPE FOLDER WITH THE TOILETRIES THEREIN. ARRIVING IN SAO PAULO KIDS FROM ECONOMY WERE ALLOWED TO COME AND JUMP UP AND DOWN ON THE FIRST CLASS SEATS, PRESSING ALL BUTTONS, PUTTING SEATS UP AND DOWN. NOT WHAT I EXPECTED. ONCE IN RIO I HAD TO FIGHT MY WAY THROUGH THE PLANE TO GET OFF – NO PRIORITY DISEMBARKING. ALSO PRIORITY LUGGAGE WAS THE LAST TO COME OFF. LONDON TO RIO (12HR30MIN)

5TH : AIR CANADA. I REALIZE THAT THIS IS NOT A TRUE FIRST CLASS, BUT EVEN SO. THE SERVICE WAS REALLY NOT UP TO SCRATCH. THE TOILET BAG WAS PATHETIC I ENDED UP USING SLIPPERS, ETC THAT I HAD RECEIVED FROM LUFTHANSA. FOOD OK. SEATS THE BIGGEST I HAVE EVER HAD FOR A BUSINESS CLASS. ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM CRAP. FACILITY FROM NINTENDO BUT NOT USED BY AIR CANADA. AIR CANADA FROM VANCOUVER TO TOKYO (9HR35MIN)

6HT : UNITED AIRLINES. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH DISGUSTING SERVICE. THE WORST AIRLINE BY FAR. UNFORTUNATELY I WAS FORCED TO FLY WITH THEM 3 TIMES. THE WORSE FLIGHT WHICH HAPPENED ALSO TO BE THE LONGEST. FROM BUENOS ARIES TO CHICAGO (11HR30MIN). THE MOST NARROW AND UNCOMFOTABLE SEAT I HAVE EVER BEEN IN. STAFF THAT REALLY DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. A SEPERATE CHECK IN OFFICE AT BUENOS ARIES THAT WAS CLOSED SO I HAD TO CHECK IN AT BUSINES. RED CARPET LOUNGE WHICH ONLY HAD PEANUTS AS ITS SNACKS. A TOILET BAG WHICH I WONDERED WHY THEY HAD BOTHERED. MY SEAT BROKE EARLY ON IN THE FLIGHT AND DUE TO THE OTHER SEATS BEING OCCUPIED I WAS FORCED TO STAY PUT. ONE OF THE OTHER SEATS HAPPENED TO BE OCCUPIED BY THE PILOT / CO-PIOLT WHO WERE USING THE SEAT AS THEIR BED. SO MUCH FOR THE CUSTOMER COMING FIRST.