After slumming it in Business Class for the rest of this trip we were treated to First Class for the overnight trip from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi. It is a very different world to Economy.

Unfortunately Melbourne does not have an Etihad lounge so we had to mix with all the ordinary business class travellers in the Air New Zealand lounge. We First Class travellers really expect separate facilities.

On boarding the plane you give your seat number and the cabin crew point you in the right direction. This time they looked at the seat number and said “let me take your bag and escort you to your seat Mr Crawford”

Once seated we were offered a drink. I took a carrot juice to start with but quickly reverted to a 2002 Bollinger. After the stressful time mixing with all the poor business class travellers I needed a massage and then settled back to watch a movie. With the seat reclined I couldn’t reach the end of the compartment.

I was pleased I hadn’t eaten too much of the ordinary Business Class food back in the lounge because next the chef came to discuss the menu to see if it was satisfactory or was there something else I would prefer. I settled for his own interpretation of ‘Surf and Turf’ made with fresh salmon and ‘grass-fed beef tenderloin’ (isn’t all beef fed on grass? – oh no that’s New Zealand) washed down with a Reserve de la Comtesse 2008 – recommended by the chef (what the hell would I know!).

No idea what this was. It arrived before the soup

While the poor people back in Business Class were lying down in their clothes (I had long since stopped thinking about the great unwashed back in Cattle Class) and pulling a blanket over themselves, I was changing into pyjamas while my bed was made up. Obviously I had already discussed breakfast with the chef and made arrangements for the time I should be woken.

The only way to fly – when someone else is paying. Back to Economy for our trip to England in a few weeks – or perhaps the air miles will pay for an upgrade 😉