Rendezvousing with Explorer – The Flight

When boarding takes place in cities whose renown rests in a storied history, adventure or exoticism, many cruise lines will offer excursions that brings travelers closer to the distinguishing aspects of the locale.  They also provide opportunities to explore cities freestyle by selecting hotel accommodations well situated for walking and discovering.

Even more strategically, business class air options are often built into the cost of the cruise.  Lines will routinely provide a credit if you choose to make your own arrangements but the credit often does not result in a savings and can result in a greater expense.  And you can always upgrade from business to first class at your own expense.

First class on British Airlines means spaciousness, exaggeratedly attentive service and good food.  With a flight time of eight hours between Chicago and London, the trip across may not be Concord quick but it’s still considered short.   Boarding at 8pm and arriving early the following morning, a gourmet dinner, a seat that converts to a bed with sheets and blankets and a complimentary pair of pajamas are all intended to insure a restful as well as a pampered experience.

The eight-hour layover in Heathrow may have been inconvenient and tedious, but it provided yet another chance to see how differently cities look from the vantage point of its airports.

London’s Heathrow International Terminal looks more like Chicago’s Michigan Ave. than it does an airport terminal. It’s the energy that gives it a patina of vibrancy.   Bustling with shoppers, its aisles are more like streets lined with every haute couture franchise you can imagine.  Herme’s, Prada and Gucci; as well as every other name associated with luxury and glamour, have sparkling little outposts teeming with bling.

Dollars are accepted as well as the British pound but change will only be provided in local denominations.  Visa, MC and Amex remain the true international currencies.    If it doesn’t come as part of your airfare, paying the going rate for access to an airline’s club facility (usually $50) might be worth your while.  Some even have showers and sleep rooms.  All have food.  Compared to Heathrow, the British Airways club lounge in Chicago O’Hare airport is a meager but perfectly functional affair.  Although in London there are several hot options from soups to entrees, virtually all of it was very disappointing.  The offerings were more like food facsimiles rather than satisfying nutrition options.

An eleven-hour business class flight from London to Cape Town constituted the last leg of the rendezvous with Explorer and the difference in aircraft getting us there couldn’t have been more stark.  Reclining seats were oddly arranged and it was often necessary to awkwardly climb over another passenger’s feet to visit the washroom.  Flight xxxx also was showing its age with molding around one of the crew’s storage bins becoming loose and dangling dejectedly over the aisle.  Even though an air of age and use pervaded the entire cabin, the feeling was one of watching a seasoned workhorse continue to perform soundly and reliably.   Both first and business class categories offer full body reclining seats but even by lying completely flat and being provided covering, capturing real sleep was hard, even when exhausted.  That said, coach is coach and quarters are even more confining.  Your age, resources and maybe even your curiosity should guide final category buy decisions