[QUOTE] { snip } <fx: pours second cup of Earl Grey, and pulls up chair> [/QUOTE] Actually I've drinking EG based on green tea. Very refreshing. Tale: I needed to get to Kourou, French Guyane for a launch most of my team were involved in. It was also a qualifying flight for Ariane 5. Tried to book a flight from England, everything from Paris onward was booked on Air France and AOM. Contacted CNES through whom my Company was contracted. They had all there pre booked seats taken. Tried Arianespace same there. AF is even flying the VVIPs down on Concorde. Then I remembered the adverts from a few months before in Kourou for Corsair aimed at the locals. Cheap it was! I contacted them direct and was told bookings could only be made via New Frontier which I did. They were asking £300 return against £900 to £1100 AF or AOM. Made the booking using a credit card. They said it was a very full flight but I should get on OK. They phone back and say the flight is over booked I will get my money back but they will try once more. They phone to say I have a seat. They phone to say I haven't a seat but they will try again before returning the money. They phone to say they *think*I have a reserved seat. Corsair have accepted my booking but the flight still shows over booked. They recommend I go the Paris Orly West and try to get on. Being an optimist I go. Check in at Orly West (which was a hole). Go to the departure lounge when the flight number is called. I'm there amongst a *lot* of FG locals and I'm holding a buff coloured boarding pass. They load by the colour of the boarding pass. After about 20 minutes there are about 14 of us left from the nearly 300. I recognise that most are guys left are from the launch base. I'm now worried I didn't get the French for the colour 'buff' right. I walk over to one of the 14 and ask if he knows what is happening (in very bad French) he doesn't know but he has a buff coloured pass. Gate closes. Aircraft is pushed back. 14 people are all looking at each other. Several are asking what is going on, this is France so it's done *loud* with lots of arm movement. Then................... The same flight number is called again but a different gate. We all wander off in the direction of the gate and there waiting for us is: A GOLD COLOURED, ALL FIRST CLASS, AIR ROYAL MAROC 747. We embark and I'm shown to my seat. It's a double 'cabin' about 9' x 11' with two seats like arm chairs that recline flat into beds in the middle. It has it's own big TV projection screen. I have it to myself. A steward who is allocated to me comes in and asked from a list what papers or magazines I'd like. The appear to have every thing! Later: I'm brought a menu of videos to watch, apparently I can chose! Later: I'm brought the menu, a selection of Moroccan or International cuisine to chose from. Not the take it of leave it stuff. There is real crockery and real cutlery with gold plated handles. A wine list to die for. The steward keeps popping in: "Do I want another G&T, more papers, a snack before the next meal another movie?" Never has a 9 hour flight gone so well. Two weeks later after a successful launch I'm in Rochenbeau Airport FG, the old one, no aircon, rush matting on the walls, waiting for the return flight to Paris with 300 others. Same thing 14 of us left and the aircraft has gone but no Gold 747. After about 45 minute of sweating in the heat and just as the sun is going down and it goes down fast there, out of the hazy tropical sky comes: A GOLD COLOURED, ALL FIRST CLASS, AIR ROYAL MAROC 747. This has to rate as the best flight I've ever had and I've travelled first class before. AND FOR £300!!!!!!
