[SaveFLR]

1 First flight:: FCO-CAI AZ B727 long time ago…
2 First flat bed: LHR-HKG BA B747 UD
3 First time in Concorde Room at T5
4 First time in F class QF lounge in SYD
5 Scenic flight in Guatemala on a very small aircraft (4 pax)
6 First take off from my hometown small airport (FLR)
7 Old Swissair first class flight ZRH-JFK
8 First time in Changi Airport
9 NRT ground crew smiles during push back
10 First flight on a EMB 120

[PatJordan]

Afraid mine are a little tame compared to some posters, and in no particular order:

1: first time on a 747 (as part of a school tour from DUB-SNN)
2: Champagne served in Waterford crystal (EI business class
DUB-JFK
3: Champagne breakfast in BA Club (Dub-London) ah those were the
days!
4 First time in BA terraces LHR
5: Seeing the Manhattan skyline approaching JFK
6: The range of champagne on offer at BA First lounge at LGW.

[UKFly79]

1. Concorde
2. First time in First…. Op up from W, really
3. Standing behind a KLM 747 in St Maarten as it took off…. Ended up in the sea with some serious sand abrasion to the legs
4. BA Special Services from gate to limo in HKG
5. First time at an on board bar on VAA, when it was a proper bar
6. Whole crew of a BA 747 back at my hotel in JFK, and the pilot picked up the tab
7. Blagging my way, completely free of charge, on to a BA flight from UVF to ANU, as I was stranded. Will never never forget how kind this lady was to me
8. Pre 9/11 take off and landing in flight deck of 747 and A340….. WOW

[Swissdiver]

Wow, so many replies so quickly. Brilliant!

OK, some first times are “wowing”… And yes, there are special occasions. In no particular order:
– Landing in the flying deck early morning above Geneva Lake facing the Mont-Blanc … last year (first time after 9/11 – I forgot how beautiful it was!)
– National Airline 1st class in 1978 (I was a kid) MIA-LHR. First long haul in First. I remember they were giving passengers amenities such as a matchbox with the passenger picture on it. Wow…
– BA First BAH-LHR with breakfast made “à la minute” in the morning (about 10 years ago)
– Landing in Koh Samui on PG turboprops: the view on the islands
– Landing in Male and then taking a seaplane to reach final destination
– GVA-ARN in an evening last year: view on the the Nordic sunset
– Finally a regular one: watching the nose of the B747 I am about to board. Amazing bird with such a history…

About some others’ wow factors:
– Concorde: a big miss in my life. Never had the occasion to fly on it
– Concorde lounge: probably the best lounge in the world. A wow? May-be. Not sure…
– “Sea-landing”: I have NCE in mind, but others were mentioned. Yes, there is some magic here…

[LuganoPirate]

Just a few of the most memorable “Aviation” ones:

1: First time in Concorde CGD – JFK
2: Flying into Kuwait 2 days after it’s liberation from Saddam. The burning oilfields and remains of the BA jet will stay etched in my mind forever
3: Mid 90’s, due to delays at Zurich, the Swissair Captain gave us a tour through the Alps flying over mountain tops and through valleys it was incredible.
4: First time in the A380, JNB – FRA. Yesterday!

[ffidrac]

1. Concorde – take off G force and angle of climb
2. Dom Perignon in First on SQ
3. Dom Perignon in First on EK and only the two of us to drink it
4. Sitting in co-pilot seat on Air Florida (as a paying passenger in 1981 in 12 seater turbo) flying EYW-MIA. Real life, not a simulator
5. Watching Air Florida mechanic trying to fix engine with unbent wire coat hanger, while sitting in plane (he couldn’t, so transferred to smaller plane – hence seating arrangement above)
6. When a UA crew excels – not very often and when does usually LHR based
7. NZ safety videos – regularly changed, cleverly use visuals to get the message across and invariably get the attention which they require (and rarely seen with other carriers)
8. Landing at Kai Tak – over the apartment blocks and preferably not when a typhoon was approaching
9.SQ biz forward lavatory A380 upper deck – room to move and change without having to be a contortionist
10.Flying first UA 777 flight (day before entered service from LHR) – we went on a scenic tour – out to sea, then flying low over Paris and low over Jersey

[PerthWA]

When …..
Qantas used to have caviar in Business class …
we had proper knives and forks …
passengers were ‘passengers’ and not ‘customers’ aka the enemy …

[transtraxman]

This is not about service but experiences…

1-My first flight ever, Liverpool Speke to Isle of Man Ronaldsway on a BEA Vickers Viscount (a beautiful aircraft).
I have loved flying ever since

2-A private conducted visit (with a friend) to BOAC´s maintenance centre at Heathrow and being shown over a Boeing 707 and a Vickers VC10 (another beautiful aircraft).

3-My first flight in a jet on BUA from Gatwick to Malaga (BAC 111 – another great aircraft).
After that things became a bit blasé until…

4-Landing in an Aviaco Focker 50(??) turboprop at San Sebastián (EAS) airport on the French frontier during very high winds. On the descent over the Bay of Biscay and Hendaye the cabin door flew open so I had an excellent view of the pilots´ efforts to line up with the 1700 meters long, rain soaked runway as the plane pitched and yawed. We made it but it was certainly scary.
My desire to fly has not been dampened as a result.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Latest ‘wow’ for me was ‘dine at your convenience’ in Etihad business last week

I didn’t expect that and it was brilliant.

[LuganoPirate]

PerthWA, I remember when Swissair served caviar in F as did most legacy carriers.

Not sure who does anymore. Lufthansa give you a meagre spoonful but that’s it as far as I know. Anyone else have any knowledge?

[Swissdiver]

Caviar price meanwhile was multiplied by more than 10… Last time I had some flying was on AF F 5 years ago, but not even a spoon…

[LuganoPirate]

And the Lufthansa stuff is farmed in Germany or Italy. Still tastes good though!

[JJames3]

Wows..
1 – 1971 – First ever flight – MAN – LHR, rear facing row 1 seat in a Trident
2 – 1993 – KLM Royal Wing AMS – SFO row 5 smoking free Cartier’s all the way 🙂
3- 2002 – Intro to BA First due to INV Upgrade LHR – YYZ
4- 2002 – Seat 6B LHR – JFK BA001 & 2K BA 112 on the return, all for yje pricely sum of £64.10, plus 140000 BA miles. Absolutely unbeatable!!!
5 – 2008 – Go around at OSL after the wing tip practically touched the deck in V strong winds.

[flyingpenguin]

Cathay First still does caviar, but just a spoonful and in long haul only.

[FlyingChinaman]

I must have a WOW factor to many of the cabin crew as I managed to have at least 2 spoonful of the black gold on both CX and LH!

[Author]

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