FZ 143 – When I’m Scared I Sleep

I love flying airlines I’ve never flown before. To add to my (nerdy) excitement, this was also my first flight both originating and ending in the Middle East!

I decided to book a ticket from DXB – AMM (the beginning of my middle east tour) because tickets only cost about $100 USD each, including luggage. It was much cheaper to do it this way instead of flying straight from the U.S. to Amman, and plus I got to spend a few days in Dubai.

Trying a new airline can be a bit tricky, especially in another country where you don’t know how the policies are enforced. I learned the hard way when flying EasyJet that one carryon does not mean a suitcase and a small purse that can go under your seat… Instead it simply means, one overall piece.
With this in mind, my dad and I dashed to the airport to make sure we got there at least 2.5 hours before our flight (just like our e-mail had explicitly said). Our first mistake was trying to take the metro there, because it stopped at Terminals 1 & 3. We assumed we could take a shuttle or possibly walk to Terminal 2.

WRONG.

There is no free shuttle.  Terminal 2 is actually like 20 minutes away from the other terminals, and is apparently ‘the budget terminal.’ We ended up taking a pricey taxi, complete with extra airport fees because we felt we were so rushed to get there in time. Also, I’m not sure we even had another option. We got there and walked up to an empty counter, with no lines and plenty of time to kill.
Terminal 2 in itself did seem a lot less luxurious than the terminal we landed in (don’t remember if it was 1 or 3), but there was free WiFi so I didn’t complain. I joined a group of 5 or so foreigners all sharing the only 2 outlets that seemed to work in entire gate area.

I don’t remember hearing them announce that my plane was ready to board, but I took the long line at the gate as a cue that were ready to go. We took a shuttle bus to our plane, and waited for what seemed like an eternity, while staring at the plane. I think I was one of maybe two women on the bus, and the men were getting pretty impatient and were trash talking FlyDubai the entire time. Frankly, it kind of scared me. When the gates finally opened, it was a mad dash to the plane.

The plane in itself was pretty nice; everyone was equipped with personal TVs (my fave)!  I also noticed that all the Flight Attendant’s were men – something that I don’t see very often. I had a window seat and moments after I sat down two creepy men sat down in the seats next to me. They were staring at me and I felt like they were talking about me, and part of me felt pretty threatened because I was cornered up against the window. I told myself I was being paranoid and closed my eyes and tried to sleep… Next thing I knew we were landing in Amman, Jordan.

I’m pretty sure that’s the worst actual Flight Story yet?  Not even remembering a thing? I guess I was just really tired…and kudos to the pilots for a great smooth flight!

KE 094 – 14 Hours of Boredom

The very last seat in the back of a plane.

For most, this seat is the worst your money can buy you. Unless you have a bladder infection or like being one step away from the lavatories, the back seat is undoubtably the least desirable.  It’s particularly bad for those prone to motion sickness (ME! ME!) and people who don’t like being stared at by others waiting in line to handle their business.  On some other airlines, the last seat doesn’t even recline. But on Korean Air – luckily – they do.

International airlines usually provide travelers amazing service and economy class comfort that makes domestic carriers seem like flying portapotties. The downside? They’re usually more expensive when you’re flying abroad.  This time, my dad splurged for a nonstop Korean Air ticket because we didn’t know how long I wanted to stay in South Korea. Another perk of Korean Airlines – you can change your ticket at any time as long as there is an empty seat on the plane.

Each seat on Korean Air has a personalized TV monitor to keep you entertained.  You can watch movies & TV shows on demand, play games, track the flight, and even look at a camera stationed at the front and bottom of the plane. If you’re not satisfied with what they have to offer, you’re welcome to charge your iPhone or other device on the USB port stationed on the seat in front of you.  I couldn’t concentrate on any movie during this time span and actually ended up watching half of I Am Number Four, The Dilemma, The Adjustment Bureau, From Prada to Nada, and 10 minutes of a bunch of other movies that I don’t even remember. The only thing I could concentrate on was an episode I downloaded preflight of the Bachelorette…. go figure!

I ordered vegetarian meals, which proved to be a mistake. I got the same general meal twice in a row, and it wasn’t particularly good or filling at all.  For one, the food seemed as if it was ‘Indian,’ and had no relative taste to it.  On the bright side, it wasn’t inedible, as most airplane food usually is.

A few hours of this long flight were so turbulent, it felt like a shaking ride at a theme park.  Aside from the Flight Attendants asking for a doctor on board because of a medical emergency (I think this occurred near the front of the plane…) the rest of the flight was uneventful, and pretty boring.

We’ll see how long I last in Korea! :)