@Phill O'Sophical
"Even if they paid me I wouldn't spend 17 hours in any airplane in one go, in any class."
Join the club. In fact I'm done with long haul travel altogether, did a fair amount it in my 20s, can't really stand it now in my 40s. SItting in a cramped economy seat even for the 7 hours to new york is torture so screw it. I'll do short haul around europe but for me my long haul days are over unless its for something really special. Its not just planes, I couldn't imagine sitting in a train or bus in the same seat for 7 hours now, though at least with a train you can get up and wander about, perhaps to the buffet car if there is one. Try that too often in a plane and people (understandably) start to look at you as though you're about to make a dash for the cockpit.
Give me a car, a ferry/eurotunnel ticket and a clear autoroute/bahn/strada and I'm happy these days.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
