A New Adventure with a Long Flight

Our newest adventure was to begin with a 14 ½ hour flight from Vancouver to Auckland. Something I was not looking forward to. I have a real love/hate relationship with flying. 

I know hate seems a rather harsh emotion but it’s what I feel when ever I have to fly these days. My hate did not evolve over night but has been a long, slow transition from the late 60’s to today.  

I still vividly remember my first flight in the fall of 1969. I had just graduated high school and having worked the summer as a bellboy, was flush with tips so bought a plane ticket for Los Angeles and fulfilled my dream to see Disneyland.

The flight was a glorious experience. When I booked the ticket, I was assigned my chosen seat at that time.  I was not gouged for more money to select a seat nor more money for seats with an inch of more leg room. It was first come, first served.

The plane had an aisle-way that you could push a wheel chair down.  The seats were huge with plush upholstery and could recline so that you were almost horizontal.  All this with out interfering with the person behind you.  I am only 5’9” and there have been recent flights where my knees were in contact with the seat in front of me. Less leg room has meant a corresponding decline in recline. That’s why you see all those passengers with those ridiculous doughnut shaped neck pillows so they can avoid whiplash while trying to sleep sitting up.

Loading, then took 10 minutes as everyone’s bags were checked in. We casually strolled on board and directly into our seats. Not like today where loading can take 40-60 minutes before take off and you pay extra for the privilege of checking in your baggage.  This extra cost begat the insidious carry-on luggage. You are lined up like sheep in your designated line waiting to be allowed on the plane hoping that you will find space for your carry-on.  

On my most recent flight, a couple arrived on the plane with 2 carry-on bags each along with a backpack each. As they were on early, they were able to load all their bags in to the limited carry-on space leaving nothing for those arriving later. The supposed rule for carry-on is one bag and one personal bag of a smaller size with the personal bag to be stored under the seat in front of you.  This was brought to their attention by a fellow passenger who was told to fuck off.






 As later passengers arrived with their carry-on, it started the always comical freak out which begins when they arrive at their assigned seat only to find all the over-head bins filled. This begins a cascading effect when they park their luggage over someone else’s seat who has not yet arrived.

I remember that very shortly after take off of my first flight, the stewardess (now known as the attendant) was serving me my first of many free beverages while I lit up a smoke. Dinner was served on a huge tray with real cutlery, plates and a linen napkin.  Today, food is an extra cost and with up to 300 passengers on the plane, it can take 90 minutes to get a cup of coffee and a small bag of pretzels.

Don’t get me started on the bathrooms. The current size and limited number of plane washrooms is a joke. By then end of a long flight they are often disgusting with urine-soaked floors and toilet seats and overflowing waste bins.

Our flight this time was with Air New Zealand. Leg room was pretty decent. The first checked in bag was free and they were very firm on carry-on with a 7 kg weight and one bag limit that was strictly enforced. Food, booze and snacks were free.

We paid extra for bulkhead seats which gave us even more legroom. By placing our carry-on on the floor in front of us, we could use it as a foot rest and really stretch out to sleep.  Only downside is that these seats are often used for families travelling with small babies. As luck would have it, we were seated next to a family of four with a small baby.





Thankfully the little guy was pleasant while awake and slept most of the trip. A good omen for the rest of our 6-week adventure exploring New Zealand and Australia.