Photo: The departure lounge at Athens
‘
‘What a Sunday that was. I love traveling, I love seeing new places but the cost and nature of sitting arrangements these days make the life of a traveler so tedious… Did I not mention that I was in an abusive relationship with these Airlines? I wish to obtain a divorce but I cannot find another spouse that will treat my delicate bank account with the respect it deserves’
THE most common definition of a class war is “conflict between different social classes, especially (in Marxist ideology) the conflict of interests between the workers and the ruling class in a capitalist society, regarded as inevitably violent.”
The Airlines have their own definition of class wars with no stars. In any case, those who have had no business traveling long distances between one nation or the other need not bother about this visible, in-your-face class war in the Air. Some of the Airlines appear to be in competition about which of them can dehumanise passengers not sponsored by their governments or those lucky to be sponsored by transnational corporations. These set of flyers appear to have signed deals of employer comfortability.
Class wars are not new, they have just been made very visible. If we go down history to about 20 or so years ago, most travelers hardly saw those who flew in first-class cabins. They had their own separate entrance and were treated like the ai rlords they really are. It was comfort redefined. No passenger is against the rich, in fact, they are a source of inspiration to a majority.
As Professor Okey Ndibe says in his novel, Arrows of Rain, a story that must be told, does not forgive silence. So, this is my time to speak up since I do not want silence in its place. My perception took root after my flight on Delta Airlines, it delivered to me a painful conclusion that I am in an abusive relationship with a particular Airline. I feel like a cheating spouse any time I attempt to book a flight with another airline. Let me take you through what I keep experiencing with this Atlanta-based Airline.
Once the well-heeled are comfortably settled in their living room-like seats, the announcement will ring through the air for the next set of passengers to get ready to board. Soon it will be the turn of another lucky group of individuals who have bought tickets above the economy section but not close to first class. They are members of the premium sensitive. They go in through the right side of the red carpet like middle-class technocrats inspecting government contracts. Next on the queue in the departure lounge are those whose tickets are marked as sky priority. It is then the turn of comfort+. The only minus here is that these lucky ones get to choose where to store their carry-on bags before the rest of us. I still cannot tell you where the plus comes from.
At this point over 200 passengers would have boarded and I, the teacher of their children, would still be patiently waiting for the call to board. The usual choreography is that someone comes from the belly of the plane to confer with the front office staff. I guess the dialogue would be like “all is now clear for the acting rich folks to have their turn.” It is then the Airline officials will go ahead to announce over the public address system that those in the main cabin should start the boarding process. Somehow it is still not my turn, because those in main cabin 2, would have the right to stroll in. When there were about 28 of us left at that departure open-air space that looks more like a marketplace, the officials announced main cabin 3, of course, I was the first in line to go grab seat 54G a window seat I hated with passion. Did I have a choice? Hell no!
I can hear some of you readers saying what is the big deal. I tell you there is a real big deal. Taking an overnight flight is like paying for a moving Hotel where you spend the night in an uncomfortable seat depending on how much you were willing to pay. At the point of purchase, I had the option of more leg-room, all I would have paid was a cool $200 extra. My Nigerian readers should please not bother with the equivalent of the local currency. Yes, two hundred Dollars just so my legs can move around freely. I banished the thought and my legs felt hurt throughout the seven-hour flight.
The question I will put to Aviation experts is when the subdivisions on flights started. Now I have an idea of the economic class I belong to… main cabin 3 very close to the toilets. Which should be aptly termed “third class” like the third world? The lesson is well learned, buy your flight ticket according to your height, not your wallet!
IF pre-departure procedure on Delta Airlines was dramatic at least it was not traumatic. Now let the story flip to Europe where Aegean Airlines and Eurowings compete for which of them can inflict the deepest pain on an innocent passenger with a delicate wallet. A flight that should not last more than 70 minutes became a six-hour flight just because one wanted to make a cool deal. Yes, it was a deal but at a great cost to one’s comfort. I shall spare readers the details of how a flight left Heathrow Airport but chose Athens as the layover. As a good friend of world-renowned uncomfortable seats at different airports, I survived the ordeal to retell this story.
There is really no competition when it comes to Eurowings. This Airline is the sort that kills you softly but out of view of those who may make you the butt of their jokes. The ticket to Cologne on Aegean was $181 with maximum pain whereas the trip from Cologne to Heathrow was advertised as $200 (without the fine print)! On arrival at the Airport, the callous Flight official said I was not allowed to take and carry on into the plane except I paid an extra $40 just to take in a small bag other airlines allow without fuss. I thought that was the end of my story of pain until he dropped the bomb that I should consider myself on standby. The three hours I waited, I was not sure if I would board the flight or not. I sent out a prayer point to all my contacts on WhatsApp saying “please, raise your voice in prayers for me so that a miracle happens this Sunday.” I cannot tell you how it happened, but I got a seat after so much sweat and anxiety. It was in that same confusion; I forgot the laptop I was traveling with at the security!
What a Sunday that was. I love traveling, I love seeing new places but the cost and nature of sitting arrangements these days make the life of a traveler so tedious.
Did I not mention that I was in an abusive relationship with these Airlines? I wish to obtain a divorce but I cannot find another spouse that will treat my delicate bank account with the respect it deserves.
Comments are closed.