Royal Treatment from American Airlines (cont'd)
From East Coast where I travelled to some places where each has its own ascribed charms and idiosyncrasies: from New York to New Jersey, from Washington to Boston, from Rhode Island to Maine (my own travel insights will be discussed later), now comes the West Coast. But first, I got a royal treatment from American Airlines on my way to California out of a really small deed I did.
For a relatively new traveller like me, getting to the airport alone and going to the ins and outs of all the airport procedures as enormous as JFK airport in New York could post as a threat to my sometimes logically-challenged self. For people who don't know me, I'd just save you from all the details lest you find me irritating and stop reading this entry through and through.
Fast forward to my looking for my seat, 37 C which is at the center aisle and the fourth row to the last, a lone empty seat was there for me waiting (meaning: I was one of the last people to sit). A girl beside my chair asked me if she could let her boyfriend who's seated behind her be transferred to my assigned seating. What's really in it for me but to rest my tired muscles and be anywhere; I want the lovers together. No big deal.
The lovers excitedly informed the stewardess about the incident and she was so delighted about what I did that she reached for my arm and squeezed it. Then, she went to get an earphone for me before everyone else! That was just the start of things. I received another compliment from her when I went for a john. I played a bit incredulous knowing that was not a special case. Later on I realized changing my corner seat for a center seat was quite a discomfort. You don't want to bother your seatmates anytime you want to go for a break. But that's okay.
I got up for a stretching break during the last hour of my five-hour travel. I saw the stewardess again and she was awfully nice about that thing that she asked whatever drink I wanted. I got myself a small bottle of red wine for free!
The disembarking was another; she also had a glowing aura around her that asking for a hug from her was easy in a snap. We embraced. I didn't know what got me to say this after but I told her never forget that I'm a Filipino, but she said "it doesn't really matter."
The good thing about it is that I've learned to smile about compliments. And I still have that certain naivety about me pa pala. Btw, the stewardess' name is Victoria. Hope to fly with you again when I come back to Manila.
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