Day 31

One thing we’ve learned with staff travel is that it’s always best to aim for the first flight of the day if the loads are looking tight. And today, they definitely were. That meant a 3:45am wake-up so I could try to catch the earliest flight to Frankfurt. Fortunately, thanks to Finland’s endless daylight, waking up at that hour didn’t feel quite as brutal. I felt worse for Heddi, who also had to wake up early to drive me to the airport!

There was virtually no traffic, and we reached the airport quickly. I’d asked Heddi just to drop me at the departures entrance so she could get back to bed without delay. At the check-in desk, the agent told me I had a 50-50 chance of getting onboard—but said I could also request the jump seat if needed. In the meantime, she added, I could wait in the business lounge. I wasn’t sure if I was technically allowed, but sure enough, they let me in.

I didn’t stay long—just enough time for some porridge and a coffee—before heading to the gate to make my jump seat request. As I waited, I received an email from Lufthansa: I’d been cleared for a seat in business class. What a relief.

Boarding was smooth, and I was just glad to be onboard. I was served apple strudel for breakfast (the other option was meat-based), and even managed to drink the instant coffee without complaint. I got chatting with the crew, and we were about to take a “crewfie” together—until the curtain to economy suddenly swung open and another crew member asked for help with an unwell passenger. That was the end of that idea.

On arrival in Frankfurt, we were bussed to the terminal where I collected my luggage and made my way to Terminal C to find the Thai Airways counters. I say “find” because they wouldn’t be opening until 11:30am—and it was currently just after 8am. So I had 3.5 hours to kill.

I passed a good chunk of that at Starbucks—writing this blog, having something to eat, and very deliberately skipping their coffee. When I glanced back at the check-in area later, I saw the desks were finally open.

The check-in process, however, was anything but smooth. The agent looked like he was still learning the system, and when I asked about my chances of getting a seat, he offered a vague “You’ll find out at the gate.” Reassuring.

I made my way toward the gate, navigating the usual gauntlet of security, passport control and customs. At some point, I discovered that my water bottle had leaked in my bag. Thankfully, last night’s bed clothes soaked up most of it—and at least it was just water.

Closer to the gate, I found a quiet rest area to regroup and unwind. I was definitely feeling the five hours of sleep from the night before.

After what seemed like a long, long wait, I headed to the boarding gate half an hour early to see if there was any clue about my situation. The desk agent told me, yes, I would be getting a seat—but she just wasn’t sure which one yet. So I waited, hopeful but exhausted.

Finally, after another thirty minutes, she handed me a boarding pass with two of the nicest words in the English language printed on it: Business Class. What a massive relief after such a long and uncertain day.

When we boarded, the cabin was surprisingly warm—maybe they were trying to acclimatise us to Bangkok early! I was so stoked when I saw my seat that I instinctively reached for my phone to take a photo… and promptly dropped it into the abyss behind the seat in front.

Cue one of the more awkward moments of the day: I had to call over one of the male flight attendants, who then moved the seat into multiple positions before squeezing himself into the narrow gap and fishing it out. I was incredibly grateful—and more than a little embarrassed.

But after that bit of drama, I settled in properly and finally relaxed. One surprise was just how empty business class was.

We’ll be taking off shortly, so I’d better sign off for now until we arrive in Bangkok. I’ve loved this holiday—but I’ve got to admit, it’s exciting to be heading home too.Les mer