Thus it was that 4:30am on the morning of my flight to Seattle I was sitting up in bed, certainly not bright-eyed and definitely not bushy-tailed, when a sudden thought came into my head. 
I had not done OLCI for this flight to Seattle and it was now approaching the witching hour of T-6 when cheap upgrades to First become available. However, not wishing to pay the exorbitant price the Hilton charges for in-room wi-fi, it was necessary for me to go down to the lobby area and avail of the wi-fi there. So, pulling jeans and a jacket over my jammies (and hoping that the ends weren’t peeping out at the bottoms) 
I popped down and used their own computers to check in. Result! In a few swift strokes of the keyboard and a yielding up of my credit card details, 2F was mine.
A few hours later, and this time properly dressed, I descended once more into the lobby and thence on to the shuttle for SFO where I was checked in swiftly and politely and quickly negotiated the short security line. T2 in SFO really is a nice terminal, light and airy and with good, free wi-fi. I found a nice spot and worked on the TR for my flight from the UK but after a time I was disturbed, first of all by a group of toddlers who had discovered the xylophones placed there for their entertainment and then by another young child who decided there was nothing more she would like to do than swing around in circles on the swivel chair opposite.
Mom was using her laptop next to her and from time to time remonstrated “Honey, you’ll get dizzy” I was sorely tempted to reply that I was just by watching her darling but decided instead to visit the Ladies and decamp nearer the gate. I had no sooner sat down when boarding was announced and guests in First were invited to board so with a quick hop and a step I was being welcomed aboard and was soon ensconced in 2F. 
I hadn't been settled too long when my neighbour joined me with a pleasant "Happy 4th of July" to which I responded likewise. The cabin crew quickly followed to take our drinks order and while she ordered a Diet Coke, I announced that as it was a holiday and I was on holiday I would have....
.....answers on a £50 note. Oh, dammit, it's too easy! Yes, of course it was a G&T. Over our pre-flight drinks we bonded and by the time the doors closed we were the best of friends. The lady in charge of the First cabin announced the safety video would be shown and that in First Michael (not his real name) would demonstrate and my neighbour and I looked at him and then each other and agreed that he could indeed demonstrate the safety video as far as we were concerned and that indeed he was a nice piece of eye candy.
Michael then proceeded to act out the safety video and it was all we could do not to clutch each other and squeal like a couple of bored housewives at a Chippendales' concert! We almost demanded an encore! Once the safety video was over (and we had both cooled down by discreetly fanning ourselves with the safety cards - see they DO have a function)
and we had taken off, we settled down to enjoy the flight. Another round of drinks was on offer and my new best friend decided that she too would join me in celebrating her national holiday and ordered a white wine. A rather, actually make that very, nice dish was served up based on a portobello mushroom along with another round of drinks (well you don't expect me to remember details, do you? Slinky had it on another flight. Ask him) While this was going we poked and prodded and prodded and poked at the seat controls and the IFE unit but my new best friend and I could not get them to work. She mentioned it to our cabin crew who was a delightful young woman and she told us that she was aware of it; that she had reported it to the captain and that he was in contact with the ground to see if it could be resolved remotely. On one level it did not matter. We both had iPads and laptops and had our own entertainment but also we just enjoyed talking to each other but it still did not stop us poking and prodding at intervals. I would have liked to have had the map on and so would she and as for the seat controls....
However it was never resolved and as we made our approach to SEA our most delightful cabin crew came to us all in First and told us that $150 had been credited to our accounts. Now that IS pro-active! OK, as a non-USA resident/ Elevate member I don't know how to access this. It is probably against a future flight but that's OK too. I have been in contact with VX on FB who have pointed me in the direction of Customer Services who have said a 10-14 day response time. I've only just contacted them given that I currently have much bigger fish to fry but I'll keep you postedThe flight arrived smoothly and on time. My friend was there to greet me and my new best friend rapidly became ships that pass in the night. Bags came out quickly and I was soon on my way for the next step of my journey - a night in Seattle followed by Alaska
Next TR to follow...
