A Taste of Class - First Class, that is!

I sipped my first glass of champagne at about 6 a.m. London time.  It wasn't my last that January morning either. I don't often sip bubbles so it was a real treat - even more so because I was indulging in one of the complimentary pleasures of the British Airways First Class Lounge at Heathrow Airport.

Bubbles at the entry of First Class Lounge Heathrow

Several months ago when planning our winter sojourn to the United States, we had thrown common sense to the wind and decided to burn a pile of our accumulated frequent flier airline miles. We used our stash of Alaska Airlines miles for round-trip First Class travel between  Athens, Greece and Seattle, Washington.

Regular readers know that The Scout is usually in pursuit of the best deal for the least amount of money or airline miles, but we had a change of heart on this one.

With all due credit to our inhouse deal finder, his research paid off on this trip as well.  He found that for 20,000 airline miles more per person we could fly First Class (140,000 miles)* instead of Business Class (120,000)*.

We had the miles, so why not use them? we asked ourselves.  Why not experience the posh side of travel this time?

A 747 flies the transatlantic routes

Because the aircraft flown between Athens and London was smaller than the wide-bodied ones used on transatlantic flights, we flew Business Class on those segments. We had large comfortable seats in the front section of the plane and were served complimentary beverages and a hot meal on our afternoon flight. (British Air now requires payment for food and beverage service in coach on this route.)

Checkin and security entrance

It was the next morning that we finally entered the world of first class travel. It began at check in when we were directed to a glitzy private area where check in and security screenings were handled as a part of the route to the First Class lounge, dining room and terrace.

I was like a kid in a candy shop or Alice as she tumbled into Wonderland! I left The Scout sitting in a leather wing chair sipping a pre-breakfast cappuccino while I unabashedly scurried about taking photos of this opulent area.   Who knew such a comfy, cushy world existed at airports? (I've been in Business Class lounges before but this was beyond that, so very beyond that!)

While this was likely a one-time shot for us, obviously there is a world in which first class is quite routine. As we were eating breakfast, a well-dressed man passed our table and as he did called out a greeting to the hostess, using her first name. Then added, "I will have my usual. I will be over in my chair." as he headed to the seating area. Incredible!

First class seat British Air

Seat becomes a bed with the turn of a button

Once inside the plane, the small cabin to the front of the plane was as posh as I had imagined it being.  The seats were small private seating/sleeping areas that opened from the aisle. A viewing screen, an individual closet, desk/table area and a seat that with the twist of a button became 180-degree flat bed.  A sleeping pad and coverlet were provided as were slippers and 'sleeping attire'.

A Mimosa while waiting for take-off

We perused the menu and sipped - yes, another bubbly while awaiting take off. When the flight attendant took our orders The Scout asked when the meal would be served. Her reply, "Any time you would like it Mr. Smith."  Yes, just like Alice must have felt in Wonderland!

Men and women received gender-appropriate gift bags containing lotions, lip moisturizer, socks, ear plugs, toothbrushes and paste and a number of other pamper yourself items.

Never has the near 10-hour flight between London and Seattle gone as quickly as this one did.

I followed our journey on my television scree

First Class Part Two

Now our return journey wasn't quite as posh and we can thank the US-based carrier Alaska Airlines, a code-share partner with British Air for tainting an otherwise delightful introduction to First Class travel.

Alaska Air Premium Economy - snack bar and water 

When traveling on award-travel you are not always able to get the flight you want as seats are often scarce. We were unable to get first class seats on the direct BA flight from Seattle to London so flew Alaska Airlines to Boston and then British from Boston to London.  Alaska also has Business Class seats, for which we were waitlisted. . .but never cleared the wait list so a six-hour segment of our return trip was spent in Alaska's economy seats. We paid an additional $99 per person to be seated in Premium Economy a few rows at the front of the coach class section.

Because we were waitlisted we were not allowed to use the Alaska Lounge at SeaTac even though our first class tickets were code-share tickets with the airline.  It was admittedly a 'first world problem' but irritating to think of turning over all those miles and ending up in economy, however. . .

British Air first-class lounge Boston

It was a smooth flight and we arrived in Boston nearly an hour early, which gave us a near four hour layover there.  Plenty of time to enjoy its luxurious British Air first-class lounge - another bit of bubbles and a pleasant experience.

Claim tickets need numbers on them

Alaska Air had been unable to ticket us all the way back so it was while checking in at British Air that we discovered the Alaska ticket agent had issued us baggage claim tickets for our two checked bags without any claim numbers printed on them.  The sharp BA agent caught the error and hand-wrote the numbers on our claim stubs.

That proved to be a good thing because our bags were left in Boston.  A fact we learned in Athens. And there, the first thing the lost bag clerk asked for were the baggage claim numbers

The First Class Story Ends at the Village Service Station

The bags did arrive in Athens on a later flight.  However, we live four hour's drive from the Athens airport in the rural Peloponnese.  We got a call the next day saying the bags would be sent by courier to the Athens bus station and put on a bus bound for Kalamata. There they would be put on a passenger bus bound for the villages to the south of the city. At 2 p.m. the bus would leave our bags at the village service station.

2 p.m. the village service station and there were our bags!

We have three service stations and they didn't know which one it would be. "Ask around the village and someone will know," we were told.  We did just that and at 2:15 the bus pulled into Taki's service station, the bags were unloaded and our adventure into the world of first class travel officially came to an end.

Our first-class travel comes to an end 

If You Want to Book First Class

Appetizers and bubbles

Now before you go rushing off to book yourself in First Class using award tickets let me caution that these were not 'free tickets'.  In addition to the 140,000 reward miles per person we also had to pay $637 per person of which $499 was the 'carrier imposed surcharge' and $138 were taxes and user fees (split between Greece, United Kingdom and the United States). And a booking fee of $25.

That said, it compared favorably with the fare had we simply purchased the tickets as they are about $4,500 per person.

Note the small print when booking award seats whether Business or First Class as sometimes it is a mixed cabin ticket meaning one segment might be in the elite class but other segments will be in the economy section - despite the number of miles you have turned in.

That is it for this week! Thanks for being with us again and we look forward to being back next week with some more tales from The Stone House on the Hill. Until then, safe travels to you and yours~

Linking this week with:

Through My Lens
Our World Tuesday
Wordless Wednesday

Just call us the village people

We are back in the village.
The American village, that is.
The place we hang our hats and settle in when back in the States these days.

Downtown Manson

We've become what you might call 'the village people', preferring this small-town lifestyle to that of the city.

Manson, Washington

Manson, our U.S. village, sits on the shore of the glacier-fed 55-mile long Lake Chelan in the north-central part of Washington State. Manson got its roots as an agricultural town and was once surrounded by apple orchards. In the last decade, though, many of those orchards have given way to vineyards and the Lake Chelan AVA (American Viticulture Area) in which Manson is a part now boasts some 40 wineries or tasting rooms!

Vineyards have replaced orchards here

Little is written about Manson history, I've discovered in writing this post.  A Google search will turn up far more on the notorious Charles Manson (one of America's more famous murderers) than on our little village.  I've learned the population here in 2016 was 1,284. This little unincorporated town got its name back in 1912 when it was named for Manson F. Backus, president of the Chelan Land Company.  It is seven miles from the larger, more well-known town of Chelan. . .where The Scout was born and raised several decades ago.

Wapato Point in Manson

Manson became our part-time home base in the U.S nearly two years ago.  We'd had 30 years of big city suburb life and had been spoiled by the wide open spaces we have in our expat life in Greece. We went in search of  similar wide open spaces in this part of the state when we decided we needed roots back here as well. While there are any number of charming Eastern Washington towns that offer alternatives to the fast-pace of the city, we've landed here.

Strolling in Manson on a winter's day

As we settle in and become more familiar with the village and its surrounding area, we notice how similar our Greek village is to this one. For instance, they each have a single main road through town, which is bordered by small home-owned businesses. The road here is wider but the vibe when walking on it is much the same as Greece: people still greet each other and make eye contact - whether they know each other or not. Seldom do you see anyone pass with their head bent over immersed in their handheld device.  It is just plain-old small town friendliness.

Countryside near Manson

Both of our villages are distinctly - and refreshingly - rural. Each is situated on large bodies of water and surrounded by agriculture. Tourists have discovered both villages and bring a dynamic to them during the warm weather months.  Both are building new tourist accommodations.

For fear of making them out to be Mayberry, USA ( 1960's television show starring Andy Griffith), there is a bit of Mayberry charm about them both.  Take the church bells - you can hear them ring out in both villages. And people still attend worship services. It is a normal part of life.

Businesses display American flags year-round  along Main Street

Patriotism and flag displays are also common traits of the two villages. While the blue and white stripes wave in the wind in Greece, the red, white and blue flags are on display in Manson.

Tasting rooms and a brewery are among Main Street businesses

In winter, both villages slow their pace.  Businesses that cater to tourists take a much needed break, often reducing their hours or closing for weeks on end. (In Greece it is usually to allow the family members to harvest their olives, here it is for a bit of vacation time.)  The places that do stay open become gathering places for the locals.  And even as part-time as we may think we are, we have become 'locals' in this small community.

Sign at a local eatery captures the mood of Manson

'You are back!' the waitress called out a couple nights ago, throwing her arms around me at one of our favorite eateries here.  It was a hug much like those received in our Greek village before we left in January.  It is something we didn't experience when dining out in the Seattle suburb.

Full moon spotlights downtown Manson

In Greece we are often called, 'the Amerikani' and here our moniker is 'the ones from Greece'.

Speaking of Greece our time in the States is coming to an end this weekend.  It is time to return to our other village.  The next time you hear from these two 'village people' will be after we are settled back into our Stone House on the Hill. Until then, safe travels to you and yours ~

Linking sometime in the next few weeks with:

Through My Lens
Our World Tuesday
Wordless Wednesday