Notes about the flight

Until this most recent trip, if you asked me the difference in planes, I would have had no clue. Now, the differences in plane types is becoming very apparent to me, and reflecting on my flight I have some mental notes I would like to share.

Note to self: Airbus 330 is better than a Boeing 777 for its legroom in the “steerage” area of economy. The seating in a 2-4-2 format (instead of 3-5-3 on a 777) is also much better for those who like windows, as I do. The 6+ extra inches of legroom were all that kept me sane, and there are not massive black TV circuit boxes that chew into ¾ of your feet space on the underside of the seats in front of you as are there are on the 777.

Note to self: 17 straight hours is an INSANE amount of time to fly. Do not do that again: make at least one more stop along the way. Had I been on any other plane than the one I lucked out to get, there would have been no way! First, you have to understand that I fly what I call “steerage” economy, so I usually get packed in the back of the plane like a sardine. Unpleasant, yes, but I am a miser like that, so it suits me fine. I would have needed an asylum, though, had I booked a 17 hour flight on a plane like the 777 I flew when I came over for the Southeast Asian Practicum last winter. My luck aside getting a roomier (yet physically smaller) Airbus 330, the non-stop flight from John F. Kennedy in New York to Bangkok, Thailand was excruciating pain in the legs, restless leg syndrome to the extreme, and butt-falling-asleep kind of discomfort. You know, the kind where you’re shifting positions every 30 seconds.