ourtroubledminds

Flying can be a pain, even though there are plenty of amenities and premium options available during your flight to help make your trip as comfortable as possible. Previously, we touched on how to make coach feel like a business class experience. For a premium, you can one-up — or many times up, really — to make your flight experience better. But is forking out the extra fees really worth the comfort? Let’s consider the factors.

Duration of flight

Staying comfortable during a short haul is no problem, but if you’ve looking at a 20-hour non-stop flight from Singapore to New York, a little extra leg room goes a long way. Are you used to sitting for hours on end? Are you able to sleep sitting? If the answer is yes, economy is perfect for you. If the answer is no, just imagine sitting down for 20 hours without sleeping. How do seats that recline all the way sound now?

If you’re not fussed about lying down on planes, JAL’s economy seats are one of the widest in the market, giving you enough space for a comfortable flight. Alternatively, premium economy truly pampers with reclinable seats that do not intrude into personal space. 

Pick the right airline

There are some airlines with a reputation for leaving on time, some with a reputation for great food selection and some with a reputation for service. And that reputation is likely to be amplified to all passengers, whether in economy or business.

Take JAL for example. People who values service over anything else heard of the legendary omotenashi experience, a Japanese way of complete and selfless approach to receiving guests. That includes attentive care, unobtrusiveness and the smallest details to attention. Depending on your preference, some research into what the airline prides itself with could help greatly with your decision.

Consider the price difference

Sometimes, all it takes to secure an even more comfortable flight is to pay just that bit more. For example, economy seats have gotten a bad reputation over the years, though some airlines are taking steps to ensure economy seats are as comfortable as it gets with various amenities. JAL for instance still provides Häagen-Dazs ice cream after meal service!

Business class seats are obviously made for comfort along with personalised service, which in itself is a priceless experience. Even then, business class fares varies from airlines to airlines, so it is important to suss out the airlines that provide far more value than others.

How much is comfort worth to you?

To quote an old article about this writer’s hilarious take on flying business, “As I shortly discovered, it’s not flying I’ve been terrified of all these years. It’s flying economy.”

Economy seats are good enough for most, but bigger economy seats like the ones JAL have are even better. And then there are business class seats, which are truly first-class comfort. Truth is, business class is not an everyday occurrence, unless you’re an airplane aficionado (and even then, you’ll want your money’s worth when you book that ticket!)

For the rest of us, business class represents a real treat, because we know that the additional value (better food, better seats that are really beds, better services) is worth the additional fee. For best value, keep a lookout for new or enhanced business class seats, like JAL’s SkySuite III. Large 17-inch personal screen, privacy screen for enhanced comfort, aisle access from every seat and of course, free flow champagne and specially-prepared food, are just some things you can expect from the esteemed airline.

some random screensavers from my trip to iceland | more locksreens here 

They then watched me run around the house in a blind panic trying to find my phone for /hours/. I finally figured out what happened, confronted them, and was sat down for hands down the worst talk I’d ever received. They asked me if I was dating this girl. I said yes. They asked me if I was a lesbian. I said no, I’m bisexual. They then proceeded to tell me that “bisexuality isn’t real, I have to pick, it’s just a phase” ect.

And that’s my coming out story. I didn’t “come out”. I was forced to admit my sexuality under interrogation after they invaded my privacy, and then ridiculed. I have nothing to hide now, but when someone goes through my phone, I freak out. I don’t tell my family when I’m dating someone, even if I’m happy with them.

I was crushing on this girl of mine for a couple of years, and my parents took my phone one time because I got in trouble. They’d read all of our texts. All of them. Everything. And they forbid me from ever speaking to her again and ended up taking me to “Christian” therapy. This made me unbelievably depressed and when this happened, I got back into self harm. Still, when you’re forced to grow up doing things that make you happy in secret because your parents are super consesrvative, you get sneaky. Eventually this girl and I ended up in a relationship. So I dated this girl for THREE YEARS, long distance, ENTIRELY in secret. I had to clear my text messages every 5 minutes, couldn’t EVER talk to her on the phone (except for when I finally got my car and was allowed to go our by myself, in which, I still had to be careful) and it made us both MISERABLE. If they found out we were talking not only would we not be able to again, but they wanted to place a restraining order on her just so that it would be IMPOSSIBLE for us talk again. All because they were MORTIFIED of me ‘being gay’.

And I’m not exaggerating. They would check the Verizon bills to see what numbers I’ve texted/called, would SNATCH my phone out of my and RANDOMLY and check through my messages/MSN, and I was subject to ‘random regular computer checks’. The girl I was with at this time had to pay $50 to get an area code that wasn’t the one they’d be looking for just so that we could text back and fourth without questions.

It destroyed me. It destroyed my sense of trust for my parents and even now, long after my relationship with this person has been ended and I am allowed and approved to date my current boyfriend, I still clear my texts out of pure fear and am still scared sometimes. I doubt they’d take my phone now that I’m nearly 21, but I have no idea and I can’t be too careful. I still haven’t come out to them as pansexual and probably wont ever.