PAL Boeing 777-300ER Flight to Sydney Australia
About this time last year, I uprooted my family: me, H, and euna for a 2 month stint in Australia. This will be the first of several posts commemorating (hah!) our stay in Australia. We took the 7/8-hour economy Manila to Sydney flight via Philippine Airlines. Euna was only 10 months old that time and it was a circus trying to breastfeed her in those economy seats. The only saving grace was that we had the whole middle aisle to ourselves. So that night, my poor little girl spent it sleeping like this:
Propping her with pillows was the best that I could do to make her as comfy as possible.
I barely had enough room to lie beside her so that I can feed her every 2 hours or so. I turned to the blanket for privacy.
Earlier in the flight, she was curious with all the "gadgets".
Sole source of entertainment on board, economy that is as I didn't know what was offered in business class.
Economy section of the Boeing 777-300 ER.
On board meals were definitely better in the international flight. Fish above and beef below. Even had panna cotta from Bizu for dessert.
But breakfast was puny, if you even dare refer to it as breakfast.
And we had to endure a stopover in Melbourne. Notice how scruffy and tired H and Euna look. We had to get off the plane, lug our hand carried baggage and go through the whole airport security check process, even if it was just a stopover.
I've never been so relieved to arrive at an airport. All I could think of was that we were only hours away from a decent bed and therefore a decent sleep.
I'd never fly economy again with Euna if it means spending overnight in a plane. Even though it was for work that I went to Australia, the company I worked for only paid for me. So we had to shoulder H and Euna's fare. That wasn't cheap either considering that the tickets were bought just days before the flight. But since I was still breastfeeding my baby and didn't want to leave my family behind, H and I thought it best that we all go. No one gets left behind. And we couldn't afford the business class seats, thus a very stressful flight.
Now that Euna is nearly 2, I've checked the fares for children 2-11 years old and the airline actually charges the same as an adult. To me, it just means that I can't just take any assignment overseas. There's a checklist in my head already before I am going to say yes. I know a lot of fellow Filipinos would jump at the chance. I am just lucky that I am earning enough to not feel the need for me to work away from them.
To the moms and dads out there who had to leave their babies or kids behind, I can only imagine the longing that you're experiencing while away. And to the babies and kids left behind, I could also only imagine the longing to have their moms and dads be with them and hold them, be able to celebrate occasions as a family. I can only wish that we could become a self-sufficient economy, where jobs are abundant, the concept of OFW a thing of the past, and moms and dads neet not leave their young ones behind.
Advance happy Father's day to all the fathers out there. Hope you are with your families.
Happy 150th birthday to Jose Rizal (Philippine national hero)! Have the Filipinos made you proud in the past century? Or are you turning in your grave?
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