Chapter 306: First Time On a Plane
Chapter 306
But luckily, there were people around her.
She didn\'t have much luggage, just a backpack with two sets of clothes, a Spanish textbook because she was still a beginner and not very proficient, and some paper and pens for practicing calligraphy and drawing.
She didn\'t bring a suitcase because the one her aunt bought in Lushan City had some quality issues after using it once. One of the wheels was crooked and wobbly, probably because she had packed too much stuff and it was too heavy. Xiao Qi had to half-carry it for the last part of the journey. Besides, she wasn\'t sure if she could bring the suitcase on the plane.
Maybe she needed to store it or something, she wasn\'t quite sure. So it was better to just carry a backpack. She was sure the backpack would be allowed on board.
At the airport, Xiao Qi saw her coach carrying a huge 28-inch suitcase, while the club president had a small 20-inch carry-on suitcase.
The coach\'s suitcase needed to be checked, but the club president\'s suitcase could be brought on board.
It was similar to taking a high-speed train, first you had to pick up the ticket, but not just any window would do. There were specific windows for that. Inside the airport, there were signs indicating which window to go to. They had bought tickets from Donghang Airlines. Before Xiao Qi came, Yunshu had asked her to download an app called "Air Travel" on her phone. She entered her information, and it provided her with the specific details of her flight, which window to pick up the ticket from, the departure time, and whether there were any delays.
At the Donghang Airlines window, Xiao Qi was lucky not to rush to join the queue because the club president had actually bought business class tickets. They could line up at the first class and business class window. There were hardly any people there, and they quickly checked their luggage and got their tickets.
Then they went through security check, which also had a fast lane for first class and business class passengers. There were fewer people, unlike the economy class queue that looked like a game of Snake.
Even though it was her first time flying, Xiao Qi also felt that having money was really good. It\'s no wonder so many people work hard to earn money. It\'s a feeling that extends to every aspect, different channels and windows. Although it was just a little faster, the sense of superiority was completely different in comparison.
But when she found out the price difference between business class and economy class, she felt a bit of a toothache. A business class ticket was over 1,800 yuan, while an economy class ticket could be bought for just over 500 yuan, and if you bought it a few days earlier, it was even around 300 yuan.
After passing security check and entering the airport, they didn\'t go directly to wait for the plane, but went to the Donghang Airlines VIP lounge.
The VIP lounge was spacious, with computers, tables and chairs for resting, and plenty of food, like a simplified version of a hotel\'s buffet breakfast. There was even a chef cooking noodles there.
Steven ordered a bowl of spicy sand tea noodles and asked Xiao Qi if she wanted some. Xiao Qi nodded dumbly.
Then they went to get some self-service food. Although it was a simple meal, it looked pretty good. The main thing was that everything smelled fresh to Xiao Qi. She got a sandwich, green pepper beef, yogurt, kung pao chicken, and some fruit.
Xiao Shengzhou only poured himself a cup of coffee. He rarely ate anything in the lounge.
Seeing that Steven got a steaming bowl of sand tea noodles, Xiao Qi got a whole bunch of food...
A bit unexpectedly amusing, this is like having a main course when it\'s nearly evening, and there are also meals on the plane.
Xiao Qi was a little hungry, so she ate noodles first and then other things. She found the taste quite good.
Steven also ate voraciously. He likes eating satay noodles and also grabbed a glass of wine. He and Xiao Qi primarily communicated in English, which Xiao Qi had gotten used to, and it also served as an opportunity for her to practice her spoken English.
It\'s fortunate that it was like this, otherwise they would have definitely received many disapproving glances from the people around them, as if they had never been to the VIP lounge before. They ate quite a lot, but speaking English, the Chinese people were instantly accommodating and readily provided many excuses, even mistaking Xiao Qi for a foreigner.
Xiao Shengzhou was tempted by the two of them and broke his image of being a business elite who only drinks coffee. He also ordered a bowl of satay noodles.
The noodles were piping hot, and as they ate, their stomachs felt warm and cozy. It was truly comfortable.
After finishing their meal, they rested for a while, and then the boarding announcement came from that side.
Xiao Qi was a bit nervous herself, worried that she might miss the plane or not hear the announcement.
Fortunately, the VIP lounge staff came to inform them which aircraft was getting ready for boarding and gave them enough time to go.
They followed the president and the coach to the boarding gate, where a long line had already formed.
Because it was a business class, they enjoyed some convenience and entered through a separate channel...
The line behind them still stretched on, waiting patiently.
Xiao Qi entered with them, and the business class seats were actually the first three rows of the plane.
The first row was first class, and the second and third rows were business class.
The only slight difference was that the business class had four seats in a row with an aisle in the middle, while the economy class behind had six seats in a row, making it slightly smaller.
Xiao Qi sat by the window, with the coach beside her and the president on the other side of the aisle.
Xiao Qi was quite excited to be by the window. As soon as she sat down, a flight attendant handed her a hot towel and lemon water, and inquired if she wanted a blanket and a neck pillow. There were also disposable slippers on the floor, which looked very soft.
Xiao Qi asked for a neck pillow and a blanket, and changed into the slippers.
She took out her Spanish textbook from her bag.
Mobile phones were allowed to be used on the plane, but they had to be switched to airplane mode. Xiao Qi had downloaded a few basic Spanish tutorials, which she could listen to even in airplane mode.
After sitting down and drinking some water, comfortably changing into her slippers, other passengers gradually started coming in from behind.
Suddenly, it became crowded and lively.
Meanwhile, Xiao Qi glanced at the president next to her, who had already put on an eye mask and closed his eyes to relax.
He had the demeanor of someone who had traveled business class countless times.
Coach Steven, on the other hand, didn\'t have that kind of feeling. He was busy sending messages on his phone and only needed to turn it off or switch to airplane mode during takeoff.
Xiao Qi was quite curious, but she tried her best not to show any signs of being a first-time flyer.
Besides, her demeanor was quite impressive now. Holding her book and reading, she could easily give the impression of being seasoned.
However, as the plane started to taxi, with a rumbling sound, her complexion turned paler and paler, to a ghastly white. Unconsciously, she gripped the seatbelt tightly, her strength surprising, pulling at the belt as if it was about to snap.
The coach, who had just turned off his phone, turned to see his excellent student, her forehead covered in cold sweat...
"Sue, are you afraid?"
Xiao Qi shook her head, then nodded. She was genuinely afraid.
At that moment, the plane took off, and suddenly there was a sense of weightlessness. The ears were also buzzing, and she felt dizzy.
It was probably related to eating too much just now, and she also felt a bit nauseous...
Finally, she managed to endure that moment. When the plane leveled off a bit, she slumped into her seat.
Steven couldn\'t help but laugh and cry. His student was actually prone to motion sickness. She could perform difficult maneuvers while riding a horse without any problem, but she was afraid of flying.
Xiao Qi\'s heart was pounding and trembling, and she couldn\'t control it. She was just very scared.
She felt a bit embarrassed and didn\'t dare to look at her instructor. She turned her head and looked out the window, but she was immediately captivated by the view outside. There were fluffy white clouds floating outside, and she could even see the scenery below. The entire city, so small, was situated amidst a vast ocean. The sea and the land met, and the buildings below looked like tiny matchboxes.
Looking at it this way, not only were individuals insignificant, the whole city seemed insignificant.
Xiao Qi almost leaned against the window, staring intently outside, feeling the smallness of the city and the smallness of humanity. It felt as if humans were sometimes like ants, busy and bustling, not knowing what they were busy with.
As her vision expanded, Xiao Qi\'s thoughts changed a bit. She was a person who liked to progress, especially during the recent exams, she had been busy without stopping for rest.
At this moment, she felt that sometimes people should also stop and look at the scenery along the way, experience different feelings, and strike a balance between work and leisure.
To appreciate the uniqueness of life, one shouldn\'t truly become a busy ant.
Thinking like this, the little seed in her heart seemed to grow a little higher, and her mindset became even more open.