HENRY BLODGET FLEW from New York to London the other day.
All else being equal, he says “I would rather fly Business Class or First Class than Economy Class”. Wouldn’t we all?
“But all else is distinctly not equal. So I don’t.
“Happily, with some help from a friend, I have finally figured out how to fly First Class for the price of coach.
“(I’m not advocating this method for anyone else, by the way.)”
My upgrade adventure was a gradual process that began in the airport lounge. To get to the lounge, I strolled through the gleaming new Delta Terminal at New York’s JFK. For the first time in decades, parts of this American airport don’t look like they belong in the third world.
I then began the transformation from Economy to First Class. It was a simple process. I removed from my satchel a little box my friend had given me …
In the box was a sleeping pill. It apparently costs about $2. I swished it down.
It was time for me to stop looking around and, instead, complete the transformation of my Economy experience into one that rivaled the “fully flat beds” and hours of snoozing that you sometimes get in Business and First Class …
Ensconced in my coach seat, headrest flaps extended, I removed the second piece of critical First-Class-for-the-price-of-Coach equipment from my satchel. It was an eyeshade from a long-ago-and-far-away Business Class flight. I donned the eyeshade, and rested my suddenly groggy head against the headrest flap …
The next six hours basically disappeared. I do have vague memories of bodily readjustments, odd dreams, and my mouth hanging as wide open as a grouper’s.
But the next thing I really remember is this: The approach to Heathrow, in full daylight.
Minutes later, we pulled up at the gate in London. I had gotten nearly six hours of sleep. Unprecedented — and way more than I got on a “fully flat bed” Business Class flight I took last year. That little $2 pill had transformed my Economy flight into First Class. I may never fly without one again!
So, there you have it. Is sleeping through a flight just the same as having a full-length bed, nice food and staff at your beck and call? Blodgett thinks so.
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