Will the Vegetarian in 29C please stand up.

Finally I'm out and about on my next adventure. After months of planning I am miles away. Not at work. And happy that my work allows me to do this.

I have to say that my departure flight plan this time around was probably the best one yet. Finished work at 5pm. Was on plane by 9:30pm. And still managed to squeeze in a steak before hopping on the plane.

Flight from Brisbane this time was on Eithiad. So now to me the name is an airline and not just a name sponsor to a football stadium. Flight was choccas. Not so much an issue for me. But definitely a surprise to my fellow row dwellers in cattle class who decided they'd reserve seats A and C. Yes by time I arrived at seat they have assumed they had it to themselves and hurriedly offered me the aisle I had been disappointed to not be able to reserve. Older ladies, part of a group in my row and in front (daughter, mother, and friends) as I learnt going for a 2 weeks tour.

So the score me with the aisle seat meant I could be up and about whenever I wanted. I made sure the ladies were fully comfortable with kicking me out of my seat, to move, to keep moving. When flying now I keep to a goal to ensure no one else suffers even the slightest form of the Deep Vein Thrombosis I suffered previously. I share my experience story as an icebreaker. And well the lady next to me was like 80 not out, and looked a prime candidate for it.

Alas I learnt the aisle seat was not without it's pitfalls. And I don't mean the walk through traffic tripping over, or shoulder bumping me as. It seemed this was even reduced. The plane was very new. Shorter plane with a wide seat configuration and rest rooms not spaced so far apart. And with all seated pointed forward only the most observant noticed the rest rooms down back of the 2nd cattle class area. The pitfall of my gift seat arrived at the start of the meals service. The owner of seat C was a vegetarian. And not putting their hand up for their meal. Sure easily sorted out, but indeed an issue for the air crew. Each time they offered a tray I had to say "it's not for me", point, and explain. 

Alas this strategy of pointing didn't always work though. As there was a point on the flight the crew did a drop and run of a muffin snack one time when I was napping. It didn't register until later it was a designated vegetarian meal in a sealed prepackaged container (with the seat number label) on my tray. It left me thinking did they just serve a carnivore friendly bacon muffin to everyone else, and I had missed out. I slid the newly hostage muffin into my seat back supply just in case of hostilities erupting. 

The rest of my flight went off without incident. I would regularly do down back to the galley to just stand up, enjoy the shoulder space, listening to the crew and their conversations. And maybe there was just a little of avoiding telling the vegetarian "it was me", I was secretly harbouring her muffin. I find these crew conversation so interesting. I did try to engage conversation with a few just to shoot the wind but they weren't so interested. They just wanted a break in their hiding hole. I wasn't fed the "you can't stand here" or "not trained to use the jump seat" furphy to be shooed away.

Arrival into Abu Dhabi went without hitch. 45 minutes early and with the earliest flight arrival there was no customs queue.  I was straight through customs. Almost alone in doing so as nearly everyone was transiting out going onwards towards Europe.