I am flying from Paris to San Francisco. At age 24 this is my first ‘genuine’ air travel experience. Business trips to Barcelona and Dusseldorf don’t count: by the time you finish your drink and peanuts the crew starts the landing procedure. Today is the real thing: ten to eleven hours in a legendary Boeing 747 aircraft. François, my partner-in-crime for this 10-day trip to the West Coast of the U.S., sits in the next row, his knees practically touching his forehead – the price to pay for being tall and traveling in Economy class. Soon he’s fast asleep as I watch movie after movie, unable to shut my eyes. I’ve been pretty stressed out and overworked lately, I am really exhausted. I should take this opportunity to rest… but simply wanting to sleep doesn’t really help. I can’t switch off my brain, I’m too excited. A touch of guilt for letting François do all the trip preparation, a storm of questions about this itinerary I can’t seem to remember… I grab the my guidebook and start reading about the places we’re going to visit. It’s hot and stuffy in this plane… I reach for the ventilation knob and increase the air flow. I am soooo hot!
Blinding light, moving faces. One of them asks “Are you OK?”. I want to say “Yes” but my mouth is covered by… an oxygen mask!? As my blurred vision gets crisper I slowly discover my surroundings: I am lying on the floor in the kitchen area with several flight attendants watching over me. My brain slowly recovers all its functions, including memory: a vague remembrance of feeling sick, grabbing the paper bag… and then darkness.
High on oxygen, I am soon able to stand up and walk back to the cabin. Although the flight is practically full the attendants freed up an entire row to make sure I can lie down… or to make sure I don’t puke on anyone – I don’t care! I am told that the 10,000ft altitude has an impact on the body in spite of cabin pressurization: if I don’t want to pass out again I should skip alcohol and drink caffeinated beverages. So I’m supposed to refuse the free champagne and ask for a Coke instead? How sad…
In San Francisco I meet with François, refreshed after a good rest in my own private seat row, although I didn’t sleep (a side effect of caffeinated drinks). “How are you?” he asks. I smirk and reply: “Good. I heard someone passed out during the flight, did you see anything?”. “Really?” says François, “I don’t know, I slept all the way”.
Cedric, 8/21/2011
(Flight in 8/1999)
OMG I didn’t know that !!!!! ^_^
What an unforgettable trip !
By the way, thanks for choosing AF for your pic ! 😉 but we have brand new planes….
The flight may have been with United but I thought I’d give AF a little free advertising. Last time I flew AF from Paris to SF I was in this exact plane: a good old 747. I’m curious to try the A380 but I don’t think I’ll be airborne for a while 😉