You are now free to move about the cabin.

I flew First Class for the first time on the December 19^th-20^th flights home. It wasn’t because I’ve magically migrated to the Upper Crust. It wasn’t because I’ve got money coming out of my ears now either. I actually decided to pay the extra hundred bucks or so for a couple of reasons. One – I saved a boatload of money on my bush flights by buying tickets during the PFD fire-sale in October. Round trip from Kivalina to Kotzebue usually goes for about $372 bucks. When the Public Fund Dividends are paid out by the State of Alaska, every business from Furniture Sales to the Auto Industry clamor for a piece of the pie. Ravn Air followed suit and offered up flights for 45 dollars – that’s a $90 dollar round trip! I’m glad I jumped on it right away. Saving close to $280 there, I figured I deserved an upgrade.

Reason number two was actually more out of necessity and fear than anything. The wind blows off the Chukchi Sea. It’s a constant. The island of Kivalina is long and lean and therefore only has enough room for a North/South runway.  If there is an unfortunate crosswind, there’s no alternate runway – flights are canceled often. With the wind and weather an uncontrollable variable, an upgrade to First Class on my big time commercial flights gave me the ability to reschedule without penalty and put me in line for the gold star treatment if any snafu’s arose. Luckily none ever did and I made it home safely, traveling in the lap of luxury.

And here I sit in row 12 F, twelve days later. My broad shoulders are rolled awkwardly forward as to not disturb the personal boundaries Alaska Airlines has required us to redefine here in "Coach". I don’t have the leg room to kick of my shoes and fall asleep like I did when traveling southbound and sitting up front where “they” are. From here I can see the 1^st Class Flight Attendant with a plate of food for each passenger beyond that “soft wall”. I wonder if their cookies and buns were warmed like mine were just two short weeks ago.

People warned me that if I spoiled myself by going 1^st Class that I might change my ideas about the cost differential. I doubted that a lifetime in “coach” could be changed by just one innocent brush with the high fluting. I was wrong. If I had a hundred bucks and the chance to move – I’d be all over it. But for now I’m going to do my best to attain a semi-vertical fetal position and catch a  few ZZZ’s.

Next stop – ANC.