It was not like any other trip.

The baggage tag was red in colour, not the usual blue.  After I’d checked in my luggage, the lady invited me to use the facilities of the lounge, should I so desire.  The lounge, as it turned out, was well-stocked with steaming coffee and fresh croissants.  When it was time to board, I moved onto the Security desk and found that I did not need to stand in the never ending line.  The seats on the aircraft were quite spacious and had generous legroom.  The staff was quite courteous, and did not seem to be in a hurry to finish one task after another.  Someone brought me a choice of magazines and newspapers to read!  The food served was of surprisingly good quality, and the airhostess even persuaded me to take another helping of their ham-and-cheese sandwich.  Every thing seemed just a little bit better than normal; even the view of the sunset from 32,000 feet above sea level.

Yes, thanks to the generosity of a colleague who arranged for an ‘upgrade voucher’, I got the opportunity to fly Business Class this week!  And, by the end of it, I was wishing the flight wasn’t just an hour long…