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I decided to travel in economy class following my review last year of back-to-back British Airways First and Club class service. Albeit a short hop across the channel from Manchester to Paris, it was in the interest of the WFED community that I review Economy class 
It is a far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known. -- Charles Dickens; 'A Tale of Two Cities', book. iii, ch. 15.
I also simulated what a traveller would eat if they did not have access to the airline premier lounges. First up was this light bite at Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 2B, Paris.
MCDONALDS, TERMINAL 2B, CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT, PARIS.
'Best of the Menu' Chicken Première.
The 'Best of the Menu' seems to be what the French call a 'Meal Deal'. I was most impressed with McDonalds at Terminal 2B. The staff (girls) were well turned out, polite, conversant and smiling (gasp!); eh?.... this is still France right? Yup - they were smiling. All decked out in black tee-shirts individually numbered like a rugby team (that's like Football without the namby-pamby armour and helmets, for our American readers), the girls were efficient and speedy.
The individual breast filets were cooked perfectly; moist and tender inside with the crispest crumbly coating, fried golden brown and without greasiness.
The lettuce was crisp and fresh and just the right amount of dressing added cool counterpoints to the hot meat, between toasted herb-encrusted focaccia bread (Italian: hearth-cake, from Vulgar Latin 'focacea', from variant of Late Latin 'focacia', of the hearth).
The french fries (sic) were for once, french, and again crispy and non-greasy implying the double-fried dual temperature technique was used. Notice the Gallic or Belgian style sauce for 'pommes frites' which already gives you the clue that it was the Belgians who invented what USA calls 'french fries'.
The diet Coke® was, well, a cold cola drink .
Obviously, McDonalds had taken note of customers comments that Burger King® had better tasting char-grilled hamburgers by coming out with the Premium range of beef and chicken sandwiches. Well done!...er...Done well!
BRITISH AIRWAYS CITIEXPRESS
My 'Roasted Vegetables and Cream Cheese Sandwich' was most delicious - another surprise for the economy traveller. The onions, red/yellow bell peppers and courgettes had a nice roasted flavour, yet retained some crunch within the smother of cream cheese (Philadelphia® cheese) between a mini bread loaf, which actually tasted of bread: with yeasty notes and an even porous texture.
The wine was a blend of English grown (yes, English) Schönburger, Huxelrebe, Reichensteiner and Seyval Blanc grapes called 'Curious Grape - Aromatic'. It had a hawthorn and grapefruit bouquet and a light refreshing citrus acid taste; perfect with my sandwich.
The guy in the seat in front of me was in 'Club' class and had a hot meal tray, which looked remarkably like a hot sandwich to me. Back one row in 'economy' our sandwiches were cold and we had no plastic cutlery.
My ticket was 44GBP and the business traveller probably paid 197GBP (cheapest) or 207GBP (flexible) fare. Hmmm...I can get a pretty decent meal or wine for the 150GBP difference when I get home.
All in all, its quite pleasant being in Economy class these days as standards have been raised. Even the seat pitch seems humane. "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite"
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity..." -- from Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens.
Photo and Text Copyright Melvyn Teillol-Foo, 2004
MTF
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