Journey: An 11 hour flight.
The scene: Back row of the plane, in the middle section, I'm in the aisle.
Describe your fellow traveller: Late 20's, East European-sounding girl sat with her friend, both chatting furiously.
The review: As we take off, she draws me into some conspiratorial chat about one of the cabin crew being slapdash with the customs forms, which seems like a good sign for a chatty flight, but when I offer my own conspiracy theory on why we are only allowed to wear BA-branded headphones until the plane levels out, she blanks me. Thus begins a Cold War that is to last several hours. I shut off diplomatic relations by putting on headphones, she and her friend hit the drinks trolly with full force, easily getting through six bottles of wine each before the meal service ends. My film over, I'm trying to sleep, as they get louder and more rowdy and my neighbour tries to contort herself into comfy positions in her seat, bashing me several times with her arm and spilling minor amounts of water on me in a brash move where she practically vaulted into the aisle over me. As she sits back down, she bashes me again. I'm near-delirious with fatigue and do an audible sigh coupled with a knowingly dramatic removal of my eye mask. She immediately turns and asks if she's pissing me off. I say she's being a bit jabby with her elbows and she apologises profusely, which ushers in a new period of entente cordiale. We begin to chat, find out we're catching the same connecting flight and the rest of the flight reaches new levels of friendliness, with me giving her recommendations for going out and even a vague agreement to get drinks later in the week.
Verdict: A social rollercoaster in which the relationship redeemed itself, and was all the better for it.
Rating: 4/5
The scene: Back row of the plane, in the middle section, I'm in the aisle.
Describe your fellow traveller: Late 20's, East European-sounding girl sat with her friend, both chatting furiously.
The review: As we take off, she draws me into some conspiratorial chat about one of the cabin crew being slapdash with the customs forms, which seems like a good sign for a chatty flight, but when I offer my own conspiracy theory on why we are only allowed to wear BA-branded headphones until the plane levels out, she blanks me. Thus begins a Cold War that is to last several hours. I shut off diplomatic relations by putting on headphones, she and her friend hit the drinks trolly with full force, easily getting through six bottles of wine each before the meal service ends. My film over, I'm trying to sleep, as they get louder and more rowdy and my neighbour tries to contort herself into comfy positions in her seat, bashing me several times with her arm and spilling minor amounts of water on me in a brash move where she practically vaulted into the aisle over me. As she sits back down, she bashes me again. I'm near-delirious with fatigue and do an audible sigh coupled with a knowingly dramatic removal of my eye mask. She immediately turns and asks if she's pissing me off. I say she's being a bit jabby with her elbows and she apologises profusely, which ushers in a new period of entente cordiale. We begin to chat, find out we're catching the same connecting flight and the rest of the flight reaches new levels of friendliness, with me giving her recommendations for going out and even a vague agreement to get drinks later in the week.
Verdict: A social rollercoaster in which the relationship redeemed itself, and was all the better for it.
Rating: 4/5
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