Life's a Stitch

(Feb. 22)

Part one – seating strategy

Travelling with Mack and Rika, our partners from our Egypt/Jordan trip and numerous camping experiences, began with two flights, 9.5 and 8.5hours each. Vancouver to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Nairobi.

As we are not getting any younger, it was time for a photo safari in Kenya and Tanzania. I emphasize photo because someone asked if we would be eating what we hunted.

Pre-trip planning included a consult with the travel clinic and updated typhoid and cholera vaccines and a prescription for anti-malarials. 

This was not a must do on my travel list, but again, the bargain hunter I am found an offer we couldn’t refuse. 

We met at YVR to begin the journey. 

The flights were surprisingly easy due to seating configuration, always a risk with economy tickets. Lufthansa lets you reserve a seat in advance for a fee with the warning that the actual booked seat isn’t guaranteed. Upon selecting a paid seat you are only assured of one in the same category area. Despite being a frequent flyer, this kind of policy was new to me. The alternative is letting them assign you a seat and paying for any change at check-in.

Given the length of the flights we elected to book ahead. The first plane had my favourite seating configuration in economy: two, four, two across. We booked the aisle/window seats together and were happy when nothing was changed.

Second flight – we played seat roulette in the more traditional three, four three set up. We reserved an aisle and a window hoping nobody would be placed between us. This has backfired in the past, but is optimal if it works – the free middle seat available for under seat storage and the freedom of nobody next to you. We strategically chose closer to the back, in the middle of the cabin, not too near the bathrooms, where there appeared to be many available choices. Now the nerve wracking part: having boarded and waiting for the roll of your seating dice. It was a packed flight and I wasn’t optimistic. This time we won and all went well.

Note to self: we have been loyal Westjet flyers, but increasingly it’s become an unpleasant experience. The staff seem stressed from check-in to onboard, the food is less than adequate, the cabin space has shrunk. This experience with Lufthansa was a refreshing change on all counts. 

Up next: free days in Nairobi