Here’s the scenario: you’re going to New York for work and you’d like your other half to come. Imagine: a couple of nights at The Lowell; lunch somewhere downtown; dinner at King. What could be lovelier? Except you’re flying towards the pointy end of the plane and he or she is in the back. The company’s paying for you, but you don’t have enough airmiles (or cash) to upgrade your partner, so they’re stuck in 54G between a large man who’s using both armrests and a new mother who’s struggling to breastfeed. Another glass of Heidsieck? Don’t mind if you do.
This situation could easily cause friction. In 2018, Kirstie Allsopp sparked headlines when she declared that she and her husband flew up front, but parked their kids in Economy. Personally, I don’t see anything enormously problematic with this, so long as the children don’t cause a commotion unsupervised or kick the chairs in front of them. If you’ve earned Business Class, fly Business Class. Does any child really deserve those giant seats? As Kirstie herself declared: ‘Club class should be a huge treat that you've worked for. If kids get used to club class, what do they have to work towards?’ Well, quite.
Splitting couples is different and requires more delicate handling. You could be chivalrous and offer the business seat to your other half on the way back. But what if you land and have to head straight into meetings? You need to be fresh. You need that flat bed.
You could always smuggle a glass of Champagne back to 54G, or promise that you’ll keep your little bag of amenities for them. Perhaps your other half is an easy-going sort who can be mollified by an eye mask and a tube of toothpaste so small a mouse could pack it in his overnight bag.
You could (slightly more forcefully) point out that your company’s paying for the hotel, and you can expense various lunches and dinners, that it’s practically a free trip for them anyway. If you’re feeling romantic and bold, you could try and persuade a member of the cabin crew to make some sort of swooning declaration over the tannoy: ‘To the passenger in 54G, your partner would like you to know that you’re the love of their life and they do hope you’re enjoying the chicken or fish.’
Alternatively, take them to the lounge before the flight and get several glasses of Champagne down them, there and then. That should take the edge off things nicely.
Click here to read our review of BA's Business Class product, and here for Qatar's
-
Bare roots: How to find the perfect rose and how to plant itTabi Jackson Gee moved to a cottage in Wiltshire, and went about finding the perfect rose to bring light and colour to the garden.
-
Flying backwards, pink milk, and holding your breath. A Country Life quiz of animal factsDo you know the difference between a bobbit worm and a mantis shrimp? You will soon.
-
Storrs Hall: A glimpse of what a trip to Lake Windermere ought to beLake Windermere — the largest stretch of water in the Lake District — is a tourist mecca that can often feel crowded, but head to places like Storrs Hall and you can still find the beauty and seclusion that first drew people here. Toby Keel takes a look.
-
‘For several days between Christmas and New Year, the departures lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5 becomes busier than Daylesford HQ’: A snob’s guide to winter sunAnyone in their right mind abandons ship after Christmas for some winter sun, says Sophia Money-Coutts
-
Waldorf Astoria New York review: The Midtown hotel where Frank Sinatra once partied and the salad of the same name was invented emerges from a decade-long renovationOwen Holmes checks into the Waldorf Astoria New York hotel.
-
Saltmoore hotel review: The place to stay that's woodland retreat, seaside hotel and spa sanctuary all in oneSaltmoore, on the North Yorkshire coast, has barely been open a year but is already earning recognition as one of the finest places to stay in Yorkshire. Toby Keel checked in.
-
Uzbekistan's inaugural Bukhara Biennial turned traditional ways of displaying art on its head and reignited the traditions of the storied Silk RoadEvery week, the news breaks of another art fair — but the Bukhara Biennial is the one to watch, says Skylar Pinchal Coysh.
-
From the Caribbean with love: The other James Bond who wrote the definitive guide to tropical birdsThe Caribbean plays host to a brilliant spectrum of colourful avians, says John Lewis-Stempel, as he revels in a birdwatcher’s paradise. Illustrations by Annabelle King.
-
‘We were off again in a cloud of dust, on the trail of a tiger we eventually ended up making eye contact with’: The art of the Indian safariAn Indian safari is a ‘is a study in patience and intuition’, but that’s no bad thing, says Richard MacKichan.
-
The Scottish survival experience, beloved by Sir David Beckham, Ian Wright and heavyweight CEOs, that's all about learning to appreciate the dizzying brilliance of the natural world againPatrick Galbraith follows in the footsteps of Sir David Beckham — who marked his 50th birthday with a 'survival' experience in the Scottish Highlands.
