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Sudha
Veeresh Malik

... and get ready for the take-off. Here's an update on what's in and what's out when you are flying. Dress smartly and you might be lucky enough to get an upgrade.

We've been suckers for San Francisco ever since we heard the song, the version by Manhattan Transfer. Gentle people, with flowers in their hair.

The first time we flew together in First Class, was over 20 years ago. The airline was the now sadly defunct Pan-Am, and the route was their Clipper-001 Round The World service, eastwards out of Bombay towards Hong Kong and thence to San Francisco via Tokyo. The travel agent while handing over the tickets told us youngsters, discreetly, that it would be good if we "dressed up" for the flight. So there we were, post midnight departure from Santa Cruz, silk sari and Navy Full Blues, respectively, on the upper "lounge" deck of an impeccable Boeing-747, being served champagne cocktails while a Senior Flight Steward serenaded us on a Grand Piano. This was followed by a meal, which even by American standards could only be described as stupendous, and a visit to the dining area by one of the three Commanders present in the cockpit.

All we wanted to do was to sleep. But we stayed in those formal clothes all the way to the US. At every stop, the routine was repeated. Boisterous behaviour was the order of the day. We were, also, amongst the few desis on board. All we could do eventually was to fall asleep, blaming jet lag.

Very recently, we flew Aeroflot out of Delhi, departure 5 a.m., over the Pole into San Francisco via Moscow. A crisp and brand new Boeing 777, with huge recline seats in Business Class, not too many other frills. As soon as we entered, pre-take-off, the efficient but minimalistic cabin crew greeted us, looked at our boarding passes, and asked us if we wanted to change into something more comfortable for the long haul. Directing us towards a large toilet, big enough for handicapped people on wheelchairs to use, into the tracksuits we carry in our hand baggage, teeth brushed, and well before others had even settled down, we were looking at falling asleep. Which we were, even before take-off, thanks to the white wine we were served along with a light meal in the lounge prior boarding.

Onboard we woke up now and then to take a look at the monitor or stroll over to the galley for some salads or cold cuts. Quaff down litres of water and unsweetened orange juice, and back to sleep in a dim aircraft full of other sleeping people. Moscow, Seattle and San Francisco teeming with desis, and straight to work on arrival, fully refreshed.

Flying's changed over the last few decades, and nobody told others about it, seemingly.

While the high pressure advertisements for most international airlines would like to stress the onboard cuisine and facilities, fact remains that most business and frequent travellers seem to, increasingly, want as well as get peace and quiet. Knocking down alcohol like it is going out of fashion is behaviour associated with football hooligans, loud behaviour can get you booked for air-rage and as for the food, airline statistics on those asking for fruit platters and light vegetarian meals would reveal more than a mad cow would like to moo about.

Dress code

Dressing up before flying, both domestic as well as international, has another small perquisite. With cattle class going full on many routes lately, last minute upgrades are often done at the discretion of counter staff. The basic guidelines here stress that the potential upgraded passenger needs to look decently attired. So if you are the sort who always, but always, tries a hand at getting upgraded, then that smart shirt and tie ensemble or slick dress may not be a bad idea.

Never mind that a paying business class passenger may well be shirtless and barefoot.

Understanding flyer schemes

Frequent flyer schemes sound great when launched and advertised, and even better when the huge packets full of mailers start landing up. But look at the fine print carefully, very carefully, and try to understand a few things:

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