Before I had even left for our trip to India I came to the realization that modern air travel is a class system and that I am most definitely lower class.
At the top end of the travel spectrum, the ultra-wealthy and important live in a world which is as impenetrable to the normal human, as the European châteaux were to the peasant of medieval France. This dining-suited superclass travel on private gulf-stream jets, are met by chauffeured limousines or just take their rolls royce with them on their plane. Upon landing the tail of the plane folds open and a ramp descends. Their car (with Bond like revolving numberplates) then drives them down the ramp and straight off the tarmac onto the waiting roads, where they are escorted by the local constabulatary for "security reasons". These people live a champagne life, where I consider myself to be more of a diet coke kind of guy .
When we travel we do so in the air equivalent of a public bus. In Europe we fly Ryan Air - though we sometimes treat ourselves to Easyjet. Between Australia and New Zealand we fly Jetstar and V Australia. In Asia, Jetstar and Air Asia and in India our flights are with Indigo and Jetair. Despite the fact that flights on these airlines often cost half of their "full service" counterparts, many of our friends and family would never consider such a budget service. The irony is that if they brought themselves to do it once, they would never fly on any other airline ever again - as the experience is almost identical.
Though I am happy with the money saved, I am aware that there is another glorious world out there. Though I am not willing to pay the 4000 pounds premium required for a flat bed on a twelve hour flight, I am still jealous. When changing flights, we reside within Burger King or on plastic furniture while these other people lounge on leather and avail themselves of unlimited food and drinks, and those salted peanuts that you can't stop eating. I understand that these people pay a sizeable premium for this service, but I am still unreasonably, and disproportionately envious of them.
After a bit of research I figured out that it is actually possible to have many of the travel benefits without spending a small fortune. For a 60 dollar annual membership you can get a Diners Club card each year which offers access to air lounges around the world - many of these are the same lounges used by first class and business class flights. I wish that I had figured this out before the flight, when I had a job and could still actually get a credit card but what can you do. However, I then found out about the lounges which have single use entry fees, and which turned out to be surprisingly affordable.
Our first days travel consisted of several semi back-to-back flights. We flew from Gatwick to Dubai, waited for four hours, flew from Dubai to Delhi, had another five hour wait and then flew on to Goa. After a bit of research I found out that there were several airport lounges in Delhi for which you can get single entry passes. My crazy experiment commenced. For 15 pounds each, we purchased a lounge entry which also included refreshments and the use of a small apartment with double bed, shower and wake up call for both of us.
The experiment was a grand success and turned what would have been a gruelling 27 hours of travel into a manageable 20, a two hour power nap and then with a casual two hour flight at the end - fully rested and showered.
This meant that we arrived in Goa where we were met by a nice man from our hostel holding a piece of cardboard with our names on it.
It might not be a private jet and a Rolls Royce - but it's a start.
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