I've done it. I've spoiled myself. First class flights are amazing. In every possible manner. During my first ever intercontinental flight in anything but economy, I have found out what it means to wallow in luxury. Even before I got to the plane, the amazing treatment began in the United Club. It's not every trip that you begin with some Jack Daniels and smoked salmon. I got to the lounge at about 21:30 and was able to get half an hour of work done there while snacking. Unlike the airport Wi-Fi which simply wasn't connecting, the lounge offered reasonably high-speed internet. To my surprise, the lounge closed at 22:00, but that wasn't a particular disappointment since the flight began boarding at 22:15.
Upon getting on the plane, I found my seat piled high with a thick blanket, two pillows, headphones, an amenity kit, and a menu. The kit was well provisioned, including a sleep mask, socks, a pen, and toiletries in a hard-shell case. The menu described the dinner and breakfast options.
The moment I sat down, a flight attendant approached with a tray of drinks, offering either champagne or water. I probably should have gone for the champagne to appear as classy as the other folks, but I tend to not be the biggest fan. On the next pass, the flight attendants took dinner orders. Take-off was uneventful, if a bit bouncy during the climb. Once dinner service started though...
I really should not have had the snack before leaving home. Prior to dinner, drinks (bourbon and San Pellegrino for me) were served with warmed salted nuts. I had chosen the Moroccan Vegetable Pastilla, which was described as "mixed vegetables, tomato olive relish, spices in a pastry pocket". Additionally, a quinoa salad bowl and a warm pretzel roll accompanied it.
The greens were fresh, the bread roll soft, the vegetables well-seasoned and juicy. For dessert I had the egg custard tart, which was a soft dough filled with thick and creamy custard. Only a very slight eggy taste was there, making it enjoyable, rather than overpowering. The food was better than I've had at most restaurants. Even when I was full, I just kept eating because it was just absolutely delicious. By the end, I was utterly stuffed, so finished reclining my seat into the fully flat configuration, pulled the mask over my eyes, and rested. And unlike almost any other flight that I've ever taken, I actually dozed for a few hours.
I awoke about an hour and a half before landing, and a flight attendant promptly approached and asked what I would like for breakfast. Honestly, I was still pretty full of dinner, but the ricotta-stuffed crepes with fruit and yogurt sounded so good that I had to try. And they totally lived up to and surpassed my expectations. They were warm and served with soft roasted fruit. There were two yogurts, a blended fruit Chobani and a yogurt with muesli and berries. The Chobani was a pretty standard off-the-shelf option, and the muesli had both dried and fresh fruits which made for a great mouthfeel. I took it with black coffee, which was fairly run of the mill. Breakfast also contained the only disappointing food item of the whole flight- the croissant-ish pastry bun. It wasn't a real croissant, wasn't a real pastry. I couldn't actually identify what it was supposed to be. Perhaps, had it been at least warm, it would have been better. But served cold, it wasn’t worth eating.
Beyond the food, the experience of flying first class is simply something else. The well-padded lie-flat seat is an obvious difference. The differences extend further though. It's small things, like having a bigger tray table. With the cabin crew responsible for much fewer passengers, they are able to provide very attentive and individualized service. They are attentive without being overwhelming, perfectly nailing that balance. I wish I could either say that I'll definitely be repeating this experience or that economy is almost as good. But I'd know that would probably be a lie. Economy is not as great. But at the same time, I know it simply is not sustainable to always fly first.
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