It was more than a year ago that I started searching for business class award seats from Europe to the U.S. Because I flew to London with my family one week earlier, Bill and I made separate airline reservations going to Europe, but traveled together from London, Gloucester, Helsinki, and Tallinn.
I had erroneously transferred 140,000 credit card points almost two years ago to Iberia Airlines with the hope of finding an award flight, thereby violating one of the cardinal rules of the points game: Never transfer points until you have a confirmed flight!
When the rest of our travel arrangements were confirmed, we then booked a flight from Tallinn to Madrid, with a stopover in Amsterdam. It was quite the adventure, getting from our hotel to the right airport terminal. We first arrived at Madrid’s Terminal 2, not knowing that Iberia flies out of Terminal 4. We then had to take a shuttle bus to Terminal 4, which seemingly was miles away:
The driving or road distance between Terminal 2 and Terminal 4 at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport is about 5.7 kilometers (3.5 miles), and the transfer takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes using the airport’s free shuttle bus or a vehicle. They are separated structurally and cannot be walked between airside.
Of course, the bus took the roundabout way, meaning the two terminals were miles apart. Getting all my luggage onto the overcrowded shuttle bus by myself was a chore and a half!
When we arrived at Terminal 4, business check-in was at the opposite end of the building. Our gate, S48, was consequently far, far away! However, we were able to enter the VIP Lounge since we had business class seats.
Finally we were able to board the plane after standing in line to have all our hand luggage weighed. I was assigned seat 1C, and Bill Potter was in 2D. The seat configuaration was 1-2-1, meaning I had no one beside me.
Iberia Airlines Business Class offers a premium travel experience featuring fully flat-bed seats on long-haul routes, priority airport service, and gourmet Spanish dining. It serves as a comfortable highly-rated option— particularly for flights between Europe and Latin America.
The flight was delayed by one hour and the flight time was 11 hours and 40 minutes — meaning that we were on the plane over twelve hours — but we enjoyed every minute of it!
The food was served on linen tablecloths with real silverware.
When we exited the plane, Bill and I had a conversation that went like this:
Bill: Do you know who was sitting behind you?
Me: No.
Bill: Do you really want to know who was sitting behind you?
Me: Sure.
Bill: Justin Timberlake.
Me: Oh.
Honestly, since I do not follow popular culture, I did not know what Justin Timberlake looks like, and if you put him in a photo lineup, I couldn’t identify him! Here’s a quick description from Wikipedia:
Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the “Prince of Pop“, he is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Billboard named him one of the greatest pop stars of the 21st century. His awards include ten Grammy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, three Brit Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, the Contemporary Icon Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and MTV‘s Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.
Timberlake appeared on musical television shows as a child, and competed on Star Search. In the early to mid-1990s, he was a cast member on the Disney Channel‘s The All New Mickey Mouse Club, where he performed cover songs, skits, and choreography. On the show, Timberlake met and worked with future bandmate JC Chasez, and the two later rose to prominence as the lead vocalists of the pop boy band NSYNC. The group released four albums, and became one of the best-selling boy bands of all time with sales of over 70 million units worldwide.
However, I found these images online for those of you who are also clueless. When I pulled down my carry-on from the overhead bin, I happened to glance at the man behind me, and yes, I could see a resemblance to these pictures.
We’ll be home Friday, and I’ll have three organ students on Saturday morning, an Assumption of Mary high mass on Saturday night, and two services on Sunday morning. Good thing I picked music I can play without much practice!