One of my most cherished flight experiences was flying on Concorde. Everything about the aircraft—the elegant in-flight service, the exclusive pre-boarding process, and the breathtaking view through the tiny windows—was truly fantastic. Of course, Air France had its own special lounge and check-in for Concorde travelers. As soon as you stepped into the lounge, you could feel that something extraordinary was about to happen. Someone greeted you right away with a glass of Champagne. Never mind it was 8AM.—anytime is perfect for enjoying a glass of Dom Perignon.
About 20 minutes before boarding, everyone was talking, laughing and generally thrilled to be in that select group of travelers. Suddenly the door opened, and within seconds all of the chatter stopped. It was instantly quiet. I’d never seen anything unfold quite like that. Jackie Kennedy Onassis and a traveling companion had just walked into the lounge; they were booked to travel on that very same Concorde to Paris. For a moment, everyone in the salon was stunned. Sure, celebrities and wanna’ be tycoons traveled on Concorde, but this was special. We were all 20′ away from the most recognizable woman on earth.
Unfortunately, there was no possible chance of Jackie sitting next to me during the 3 1/2 hour flight, so I occupied my time with Beluga Caviar, even more Champagne, lunch (at breakfast time) and Cognac. That is indeed the breakfast of champions. At one point during my meal, I looked out the window, and I could actually see the curve of the earth as we flew along at an altitude of 55,000 feet with a ground speed of 1,300 miles per hour. This was undoubtedly no regular flight; it was stratospheric. I still have the wonderful pen Air France gave us in their amenity kit. I wonder if Jackie ever used hers?
Are we there yet? 