My first-class bucketlist trip

[yld200]

Great read justinf!

i too hope to one day tick the F experience on my bucket list

 

[Welsh-Kiwi]

Great TR so far - keep it coming.....!

 

[njba]

Excellent TR Justinf . I bet your Dad was with you every step of the journey.

 

[TomVexille]

Your dad sounds like a wise man Justinf. This looks like a great trip and is whetting my appetite for my first F trip next month.

 

[scubabe]

Signing in for updates, loving your TR so far, what a wonderful experience it sounds as though it was!

 

[Buzzard]

Happy to be a part of your journey Justinf.

 

[Justinf]

So, settled into my seat and started playing around with the controls.
But first, a couple of pics. I told the wonderful FA about my back story and why I was onboard, not to get special privileges or anything, but because I was a bit embarrassed about asking her to take some pics of me. However, Courtney was only too happy to help and seemed genuinely interested and touched by my story (I told her the short version too to spare her precious time as the F cabin was full).




This was when I could tell it was going to be a special trip.
One confession - I had never flown on the A380 before. what better way to experience this massive bird than in seat 1A.
Next up, the journey itself.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Justin - you are a LEGEND mate!

 

[Spurs10]

Totally agree...and I can I say, made even better with that T-Shirt you are wearing....

 

[Justinf]

Just need one point from the weekend to finish ahead of the scum and get 2nd.

 

[juddles]

Justinf, I am also not a great lover of champas - it is not that I hate it (great for a boarding tipple) but I enjoy other stuff. Love the report, especially so because of your circumstances.

Legend

 

[Denali]

Trip reports are not suppose to make you teary but yep, Im teary!

And thanks for the pics, so many assume we know what the seats are like but I dont, especially QF, so very happy to see them in all their splendor and its OK about the champagne.... I failed the AFFers on this as well.

Looking forward to your updates.

 

[Justinf]

Amenities pack and PJs handed. This is one of the things I was looking forward to most. The PJs.



Before the meal service I thought I may as well slip into my PJs, so a quick trip to the lav to disrobe and I was handed the XL size which was a little big, but seemed to fit OK for the purpose. Also put on my beloved 2XU compression socks, which was a short-lived decision which I'll get to when it comes time to slumber.

This first class thing was now starting to grow on me. After take off, the seat swivels around to face the flatscreen TV. I put it into recline mode and decided to enjoy more wine. Stomach starting to feel a little better now, which was a relief.
I decided to sample the Leuwin Estate riesling. Very nice. Probably not something I would normally drink on a plane, but more so on a summer's day or evening. Still, there was an extensive list to choose from and I was hell bent on giving it a good nudge.

Decided on watching Star Wars the Force Awakens. But everything was such a distraction, I'm afraid I paid little attention to it.
Now it was time to decide on food. What should I have? The famed signature steak sandwich was going to be there somewhere.

 

[LadyC]

Thanks for posting your TR. A very personal story, both sad and happy. I hope you have a fabulous trip and create some wonderful memories.

 

[Justinf]

I couldn’t really decide on what to have. I wasn’t starving but wanted to try so many different things but also didn’t want to be wasteful.
My table was laid out with cutlery. I felt like a fancy pants.


I opted for the zucchini soup to start with. I love soup. Like, really, really love it. It didn't disappoint.


Then the roast beetroot and feta salad.

I wasn’t keen on a main meal so instead opted for the small plate of kingfish, which was delicious. My stomach was still playing up at this stage although nowhere near as badly, I just didn't want to risk it.


I was spent by now. And I was chugging along nicely through the wine list. This can be confirmed by the above pic with two glasses of the stuff on my table. I was feeling no pain and I love how wine seems to warm me from the inside and then it radiates through my body. The Wolf Blass Black Label cab sav was a particular favourite.
as far as the movie I'd been so looking to see...well, I was paying pratically zero attention to it. I was, to use a really poor cliche, a kid in a candy shop with the attention span to match.

 

[TomVexille]

I also really like the Wolf Blass Black Label. It's rather nice.

 

[Justinf]

I also really like the Wolf Blass Black Label. It's rather nice.

I very much enjoyed it. Especially with the cheese platter

 

[Justinf]

With food just about pushed to the limit, I had just enough room to finish with the vanilla custard with rhubarb honey pears and almonds. I was absolutely spent by then.


But wait, there's more. The cheese platter was wheeled out and even despite the wonderful Wolf Blass cab sav and a dessert wine on offer I went against all of what I stand for, and I just couldn’t touch it.



I felt so apologetic, but Courtney said she would leave it there or she could take it away and I could have it later on. That sounded like a good idea. So a bit later on I plucked up the fortitude to take one for the team and indulge in only a little bit. I do like nice cheese!
The service onboard was sensational and I will touch on that in more detail further down the track. I have already given positive feedback to the QF Twitter account. The service by the end of the flight actually reduced me to tears and touched me so much, that I will remember it forever, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'll bet the flight crew enjoyed your being there as much as you enjoyed their service. First must attract so many DYKWIA types that some-one truly enjoying the experience would be a pleasure to have on board.

Well played, Sir.

 

[Pushka]

I think the crew really do enjoy watching genuine excitement at the experience. Had a wonderful crew on our only QF experience.